In Athens, history isn’t neatly boxed into museums, monuments and ticketed attractions. The past doesn’t always announce itself with barrier ropes or a plaque – it’s revealed quietly, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Having moved to Athens from the UK in 2008 for a warmer lifestyle, I’ve found this to be one of the most distinctive pleasures about living in the city: the sense that modernity is permanently in conversation with the ancient. I still find I’m discovering new examples of ancient history hidden in plain sight in this sprawling city with its distinctive and varied neighbourhoods.
Take pedestrianised Ermou Street, the city’s main shopping artery that is consistently ranked among the most expensive retail streets in Europe. At first glance, it’s all international brands, and it is frenetic with hurried commuters and tourists. Yet halfway along, pedestrian traffic and chatter dim around a small, Byzantine domed church: Panagia Kapnikarea.
