The Byzantine churches of Athens shine during Holy Week and Easter

ATHENS – There are few sights in the world more inspiring than the Acropolis, whether it is shining by the incomparable light of Attiki, or honored by man-made illumination at night, but the attentive visitor will find that the exquisite taste and architectural vision of the Hellenes did not expire with the passing of paganism in the Mediterranean world.

The little-known ancient Byzantine Churches of the Attiki region will shine in all their glory during the Resurrection and Agape services this weekend, but they are worth visiting any time of year.

The churches are intriguing architecturally as fine example of classic Middle Byzantine Church architecture. They were built from the 10th to the 13th century, when Athens experienced an economic and cultural revival after the Empire regained control of the mainland from Slav invaders and of the Aegean Sea from Arab navies and pirates.

The iconography is often exquisite. Some naves have mosaic icons, while the rest are adorned with frescoes.

Most of the complexes had at their core the basic cross-in-square church plan which is the most popular throughout the Orthodox world. This is the design that evolved and was perfected after the Aghia Sophia permanently defined the Orthodox church buildings as domed structures.

It is a simple yet flexible form, which lend itself to a variety of elegant variations. The essence of the pattern is a dome on pendentives or squinches flanked on all sides by barrel vaults. The churches usually have galley levels and possess narthexes of a variety of forms.

Little Metropolis

Reflecting both the wealth that continued to grow until the catastrophe of the Fourth Crusade and the differing needs of parishes, flanking chapels and other structures later added to the original core, and sometimes narthexes were expanded.

Everyone has their favorite, but the most beloved may be the so-called Little Metropolis, standing to the side but never in the spiritual shadow of the Metropolis of Athens, the city’s neoclassical-style cathedral dedicated – as few seem to know – to the Annunciation of the Mother of God.

The Little Metropolis was never cluttered with additions, and clearly reveals an aesthetic of balance that its sister churches with their chapels and modifications hide.

While classical Athens absolutely worshiped it, evidence Byzantine reverence for symmetry was gradually obscured. Even the monumental Aghia Sophia, encumbered by later buttresses and other additions, was designed as a perfectly symmetrical space and edifice, an ideal that is echoed in the tiny Athenian church measuring only 25 feet by 40.

Because it consists of elements from nearby ancient pagan temples and Early Christian Churches, it is difficult to date the Little Metropolis– estimates range from the 8th to the 15th century, but the 11th is a good guess

The marble plaques on the exterior are imaginatively and tastefully assembled, charming and intriguing knowledgeable and neophyte viewers alike.

The space inside all these Churches is dark but spiritual, verging on the mystical.

Attending Lenten services in these spiritual oases is a moving experience. Sometimes the modern world intrudes, but the mind gradually filters out the sound of breakdancers and bouzouki players sometimes performing in the square outside the beloved Church of Panagia Kapnikarea, set literally in the midst of glitzy Ermou Street.

The passionate young chanters lifted the spirits of the young and old who filled the nave and narthex for the first Salutation Service of 2018.

Information about the churches in Athens proper can found at http://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/athens-churches – but in the wider Attiki region, perhaps the most remarkable specimen is the 11th century monastery of Daphne. Its mosaic icons are spectacular, with a naturalism predating Giotto by more than 200 years. Take the Metro’s Blue line to Aghia Marina and then hop of the bus – or take a nice long walk ancient Athens’ Iera Odos – the Holy Way.