Athens usually rings bells about antiquity, classical architecture, schools of philosophy and so on. Usually, pictures of a medieval urban settlement do not come to mind. This is due to the fact that Athens was perceived and promoted by the world of post-Enlightenment, widespread in Europe of the 19th century, during a time of a lot of political movements in the Eastern Mediterranean as the Ottoman Empire was coming to its end. However, this perception of Athens is far from the truth. Athens was a city that survived after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was one of the cities of the Byzantine Empire with a Christian History, the presence of a number of Western conquerors such as the Francs and the Catalans followed by the Ottomans and their Islamic culture. This is the Athens we would like to explore with you by visiting some of its remaining medieval buildings, including churches, houses or mosks.
This will be complemented by a visit on Friday afternoon to the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens (https://www.byzantinemuseum.gr/en/), which makes the transition from the one historic era to another clearly visible, as it is housed in a 19th century palace, built right next to the Lyceum of Aristotle. A different guided tour will be available for those participants that prefer to visit the Acropolis Museum (https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en) instead of the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens.
Detailed Schedule:
Byzantine Museum group
17.30: departure from the conference area (for the Byzantine Museum (walking 500 meters 6 minutes)
18.50: departure from the Byzantine Museum (We will take the metro from Evangelismos Station (4 minutes walk) to Monastiraki Station (2 stops)
An-hour-long walking tour will visit some of the medieval monuments of Athens.
Free evening for those wishing to stay in the Plaka or city center area for dinner. There will be a few restaurant recommendations.
Acropolis Museum group
17.30: departure from the conference area to the Acropolis Museum by metro. The guided tour of the musuem will take about 1.30 hours.
19.30: departure from the Acropolis Museum
Free evening for those wishing to stay in the Plaka or city center area for dinner. There will be a few restaurant recommendations.
In both visits the participants will have to pay only for their tickets. The organizers will be responsible for providing them.