Religious, Spiritual sights in Athens
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Temple of Hephaestus
The Temple of Hephaestus on the western edge of the Agora was surrounded by foundries and metalwork shops, and was dedicated to Hephaestus, god of the forge. It was one of the first buildings of Pericles' rebuilding programme and is the best preserved Doric temple in Greece. Built in 449 BC by Ictinus, one of the architects of the Parthenon, it has 34 columns and a frieze on the eastern side depicting nine of the Twelve Labours of Heracles.
In AD 1300 it was converted into the Church of Agios Georgios. The last service held here was on 13 December 1834 in honour of King Otho's arrival in Athens.
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Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios
To the northeast of the Temple of Hephaestus are the foundations of the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, one of the places where Socrates expounded his philosophy. Further north are the foundations of the Stoa of Basileios and the Stoa Poikile (Painted Stoa), both currently inaccessible to the public. The Stoa Poikile was so-called because of its murals, which were painted by the leading artists of the day and depicted mythological and historical battles.
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Temple of Athena Nike
The exquisitely proportioned little Temple of Athena Nike once stood on a platform perched atop the steep southwest edge of the Acropolis, to the right of the Propylaia. It may well be there by the time you read this, but the temple was dismantled piece by piece in 2003 in a controversial move to restore it off-site. It was supposed to be back in time for the Olympics, but only parts had reappeared at the time of research.
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Church of Agios Eleftherios
The 12th-century Church of Agios Eleftherios is considered one of the city's finest. It is built partly of Pentelic marble and decorated with an external frieze of symbolic beasts in bas relief. It was originally dedicated to the Panagia Gorgoepikoos (Virgin swift to answer prayers) and was once the city's cathedral, but now stands in the shadows of the much larger new cathedral.
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Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris
West of the Acropolis, on Filopappou Hill is the Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris containing some fine frescoes. There are small paths all over the hill, but the paved path to the top starts near the periptero (street kiosk) on Dionysiou Areopagitou will get you there - after 250m, the path passes the church.
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Church of the Holy Apostles
The charming Church of the Holy Apostles, which stands near the southern entrance, was built in the early 10th century to commemorate St Paul's teaching in the Agora. Between 1954 and 1957 it was stripped of its 19th-century additions and restored to its original form. It contains some fine Byzantine frescoes.
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Chapel of Agios Giorgios
On the summit of Lykavittos Hill is the little Chapel of Agios Giorgios, which is floodlit at night and looks like a vision from a fairy tale from the streets below. The open-air Lykavittos Theatre, northeast of the summit, is used for concerts in summer.
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Church of Sotira Lykodimou
The unique 11th-century Church of Sotira Lykodimou, now the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, is the only octagonal Byzantine church and has an imposing dome.
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Church of Agii Theodori
The 11th-century Church of Agii Theodori has a tiled dome and walls decorated with a pretty terracotta frieze of animals and plants.
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Monastery of Kaisariani
Nestled on the slopes of Mt Hymmetos, 5km from the city, the 11th-century Monastery of Kaisariani is a peaceful sanctuary.
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Church of Agia Ekaterini
Worth seeing is the 11th- to 12th-century Church of Agia Ekaterini in Plaka near the Lysikratous monument.
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