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Athens has been the capital of Greece since 1834 and is the largest and most densely populated city in the country. According to the 2021 census conducted by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), the permanent population of Athens and the Municipality of Athens is 637,798 residents, while the permanent population of the Athens Urban Area amounts to 3,059,764 residents. It is named after the goddess Athena. Located in Attica, in eastern Central Greece, Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history dating back to 3200 BCE.
Ancient Athens, initially a settlement on the Acropolis, evolved in the 6th century BCE into a powerful city-state that developed in conjunction with its port, originally Phaleron and later Piraeus. By the 6th century BCE, it had become the most important center of arts, knowledge, and philosophy, serving as the seat of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the birthplace of democracy and often considered, alongside ancient Greece more broadly, the “cradle of Western civilization.”
Modern Athens is the hub of Greece’s economic, industrial, political, and cultural life. According to Eurostat, the Greater Urban or Metropolitan Area of Athens (with a permanent population of 3,622,246 residents according to the 2021 census) is the 6th most populous in the European Union. Its population was estimated at 4,013,368 residents in 2004.
The legacy of the Classical Era is still evident in the city, represented by ancient monuments and works of art, with the most famous being the Parthenon, considered an iconic monument of ancient Western civilization. The city also retains Roman and Byzantine monuments, along with a small number of Ottoman monuments, while its historic core features elements showcasing the city’s historical continuity.
Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Acropolis and the medieval Monastery of Daphni.
The central square of Athens is Syntagma Square, named after the military and popular uprising and the gathering that took place there on September 3, 1843. This gathering of the army and the people of Athens led to King Otto accepting the Constitution, which was adopted the following year by the National Assembly. The square is located in front of the Hellenic Parliament on Amalias Avenue and the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. It features a fountain, garden, trees, statues, and cafés, and houses a central metro station.
From Syntagma, Ermou Street begins—a pedestrian street approximately one kilometer long that connects Syntagma Square with Monastiraki. Ermou is lined with numerous fashion shops and, in 2008, was ranked the 11th most expensive retail street in the world. However, due to the economic crisis, many stores closed, and by 2013, Ermou had dropped to the 31st position. Nearby, the renovated Army Pension Fund building on Panepistimiou Street now includes a department store and several upscale brand shops.
Omonia Square is, alongside Syntagma, one of Athens’ oldest squares. It is home to several dining establishments and is served by electric and metro stations. The square often becomes a focal point for celebrations of athletic victories, such as those following Greece’s wins at Euro 2004 and EuroBasket 2005. In 1988, “The Runner” (Dromeas), a glass sculpture by artist Costas Varotsos, was erected in Omonia but was relocated in 1994 to the Square of the Great School of the Nation, across from the Hilton Hotel.
Other notable squares include: Klafthmonos Square (March 25 Square); Kotzia Square (Town Hall Square or National Resistance Square) featuring the Town Hall, the Melas Mansion, and the National Bank building; Monastiraki Square with a historic 11th-century church of the Theotokos and an Ottoman mosque converted into a museum; Plastira Square in Pangrati; Kypseli Square; Rigillis Square on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue; Eleftherias-Koumoundourou Square; Agiou Georgiou Karytsi Square; Agiou Konstantinou Square; Amerikis (Unmarried Men’s) Square; Anexartisias (Independence) Square in Vathi; Victoria-Kyriakou Square; Kaningos Square; Filikis Eterias (Kolonaki)
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