History in Greece

Discover 21 places to experience unusual history in Greece.

Pallis Building

A pre-war mansion that survived the modernization of Athens.

Tower of Sir Richard Church / House of George Finlay

The second oldest surviving house in Athens was owned by an Irish General.

Kafeneio Oraia Ellas

Luminaries of all stripes have sipped strong Greek coffee at this cafe since 1839.

Panathenaic Stadium Passage

Gladiators once walked this ancient, subterranean passage.

Kaisariani Shooting Range

Kesariani, Greece

Kaisariani Shooting Range

A memorial dedicated to a tragic event during the Axis occupation of Greece.

Side 6

The Blue Polykatoikia

An important example of architectural history slowly decays in the city center.

Building damage 3.

Amalias 42

This building displays the scars of the “Dekemvriana,” a dark time in modern Greek history.

From NW

The Olive Tree of the Acropolis

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

Plane tree next to the streambed.

Parilissia Iera

An often overlooked ancient site in downtown Athens with substantial history (and nature).

Church of Agioi Apostoloi.

Kalamata, Greece

Church of Agioi Apostoloi (Church of the Holy Apostles)

The Greek War of Independence was declared at this medieval Byzantine sanctuary.

Lion of Bavaria side.

Nafplio, Greece

Lion of Bavaria

This slumbering beast honors the Bavarian soldiers who died in Greece during a 19th-century typhoid outbreak.

Fethiye Mosque.

Fethiye Mosque

This historic structure has been used as a mosque, a barracks, a prison, a school, and a bakery.

Tower right

Tower of Markellos

This pink watchtower served as the seat of the Greek government after independence from the Turks.

Pasha Gardens

Thessaloniki, Greece

Pasha Gardens

A little-known park with unusual, half-ruined structures and a mystical energy.

Sphinxes

Spetses, Greece

The Neith of Spetses

Overlooking the harbor is a beautiful neglected mansion guarded by two Egyptian sphinxes.

Exterior of the church in April 2018.

Agia Dynamis

This small 16th-century church in Athens is almost entirely surrounded by a modern building.