Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

Athens, Greece

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation construction began on Christmas Day, 1842 with the laying of the cornerstone by King Otto and Queen Amalia.

Workers used marble from 72 demolished churches to build the Cathedral's immense walls. Three architects and 20 years later, it was complete. On May 21, 1862, the completed Cathedral was dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God by the King and Queen. The Cathedral is a three-aisled, domed basilica. Inside are the tombs of two saints killed by the Ottoman Turks during the Ottoman period: Saint Philothei and Patriarch Gregory V.

Saint Philothei built a convent, was martyred in 1589, and her bones are still visible in a silver reliquary. She is honored for ransoming Greek women enslaved in Ottoman Empire's harems.Gregory V the Ethnomartyr, Patriarch of Constantinople, was hanged by order of Sultan Mahmud II and his body thrown into the Bosphorus in 1821, in retaliation for the Greek uprising on March 25, leading to the Greek War of Independence. His body was rescued by Greek sailors and eventually enshrined in Athens.

In the Square in front of the Cathedral stand two statues. The first is that of Saint Constantine XI the Ethnomartyr, the last Byzantine Emperor. The second is a statue of Archbishop Damaskinos who was Archbishop of Athens during World War II and was Regent for King George II and Prime Minister of Greece in 1946.

The Metropolitan Cathedral remains a major landmark in Athens and the site of important ceremonies with national political figures present, as well as weddings and funerals of notable personalities.

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Details

Founded: 1842
Category: Religious sites in Greece

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

GT Hodge (7 months ago)
Beautiful church inside and out. So glad we stopped in. Love the exterior mosaic above the entrance, and the symmetric towers. Impressive fixtures inside and undoubtedly a nice place to worship.
Fatima Barber (8 months ago)
Absolutely Stunning is very pretty take my breath away , every corner is beautiful . I'm glad I visit this Church and pray there . you feel so good inside , I need hours to spend there and talk with God .
Scott Spurgiesz (8 months ago)
Beautiful piece of history here! The old and new church are right next to each other, maybe 15 meters away from one another. Quiet and peaceful place.
Jen Shifman (9 months ago)
This church is in the heart of Athens and is gorgeous! We stopped by on Sunday as they were having prayer and the ambiance was wonderful. The details in here are very impressive.
Robert McManus (10 months ago)
Amazing place! Small church on the side with a newer much larger church that was built in the 1900’s. They have a museum below with things 400+ years old of the original church built in 1842.
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