DSC-0033-First-Cemetery-of-Athens-august-2017

The First Cemetery of Athens (, ''Próto Nekrotafeío Athinón'') is the official cemetery of the City of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

and the first to be built. It opened in 1837 and soon became a prestigious cemetery for

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

and foreigners. The cemetery is located behind the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the

Panathinaiko Stadium The Panathenaic Stadium (, ) or ''Kallimarmaro'' ( , ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. A stadium was built on the site o ...

in central Athens. It can be found at the top end of Anapafseos Street (Eternal Rest Street). It is a large green space with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

s and

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

es.The First Cemetery of Athens
/ref> In the cemetery there are three churches. The main one is the Church of Saint Theodores and there is also a smaller one dedicated to Saint Lazarus. The third church of Saint Charles is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church. The cemetery includes several impressive tombs such as those of

Heinrich Schliemann Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann (; 6 January 1822 – 26 December 1890) was a German businessman and an influential amateur archaeologist. He was an advocate of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeolo ...

, designed by Ernst Ziller; Ioannis Pesmazoglou; Georgios Averoff; and one tomb with a famous sculpture of a dead young girl called ''I Koimomeni'' ("The Sleeping Girl") and sculpted by Yannoulis Chalepas from the island of

Tinos Tinos ( ) is a Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea. It forms part of the Cyclades archipelago. The closest islands are Andros, Delos, and Mykonos. It has a land area of and a 2021 census population of 8,934 inhabitants. Tinos is famous amo ...

. There are also burial areas for

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, however, this segregation is not compulsory. The cemetery is under the Municipality of Athens and is declared a historical monument.

Notable interments

Odysseas Androutsos Odysseas Androutsos (; 1788–1790 – 1825; born Odysseas Verousis ) was a Greek armatolos in eastern continental Greece and a prominent figure of the Greek War of Independence. Born in Ithaca (island), Ithaca, the son of an Arvanites, Arva ...

, hero of the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

* George Averoff,

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

, businessman * Sotiria Bellou, singer * Nikolaos Bourandas, police and fire service general, politician * Yannoulis Chalepas, sculptor * Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens * Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Athens * Richard Church, general *

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin ( ; December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, where he continued hi ...

, director, actor * Stratos Dionysiou, singer * Dorotheus, Archbishop of Athens *

Odysseas Elytis Odysseas Elytis (; , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudelis, ; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as the definitive exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. He is one ...

, poet, 1979

Nobel Laureate The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

in literature * Demetrios Farmakopoulos, painter * George Finlay, historian * Adolf Furtwängler,

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Manolis Glezos Manolis Glezos (; 9 September 1922 – 30 March 2020) was a Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and member of the Greek Resistance during World War II. After the end of the war, Glezos became a journalist and edited the left-wing n ...

, journalist, WWII hero, and politician * Dimitris Horn, actor * Humphrey Jennings, filmmaker *

Georgios Kafantaris Georgios Kafantaris (; 13 October 1873 – 28 August 1946) was a Greek politician, a political personality of the first half of the 20th century and a prominent member of the Liberal Party. Biography Georgios Kafantaris was born in Anatoliki Fr ...

Prime Minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet. The officeholder's of ...

* Dimitrios Kallergis, statesman * Konstantinos Kanaris, hero of the

, admiral, statesman * Tzeni Karezi, actress * Manos Katrakis, actor * Nikos Kavvadias, poet *

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis (; 3 April 1770 – ) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. The son of a klepht leader who fought the Ottomans during the Orlov revolt ...

, pre-eminent leader of the

, general * Marika Kotopouli, actress * Ellie Lambeti, actress * Grigoris Lambrakis, politician * Zoe Laskari, actress * Vassilis Logothetidis, actor * Orestis Makris, actor * Yannis Makriyannis, merchant, military officer, politician, author * Manolis Mantakas, army officer, and politician *

Alexandros Mavrokordatos Alexandros Mavrokordatos (; 11 February 179118 August 1865) was a Greek statesman, diplomat, politician and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes. Biography In 1812, Mavrokordatos went to the court of his uncle John George Caradja ...

, politician * Melina Mercouri, actress, politician * Andreas Michalakopoulos, politician * Dimitris Mitropanos, singer * Dimitri Mitropoulos, conductor, pianist, composer * Nikitaras, hero of the

Kostis Palamas Kostis Palamas (; ; – 27 February 1943) was a Greek poet who wrote the words to the Olympic Hymn. He was a central figure of the Greek literary generation of the 1880s and one of the cofounders of the so-called New Athenian School (or Pala ...

, poet * Alexandros Panagoulis, politician, poet, democracy activist *

Antonios Papadakis Antonios Papadakis (; 1810–1878) was a Greek merchant from Lassithi Plateau on the island of Crete. He left his entire huge fortune to the University of Athens which proclaimed him its greatest benefactor. Every year “Antonios Papadakis Schola ...

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...

' greatest benefactor *

Georgios Papadopoulos Georgios Papadopoulos (; ; 5 May 1919 – 27 June 1999) was a Greek military officer and dictator who led a coup d'etat in Greece in 1967 and became the country's Prime Minister from 1967 to 1973. He also was the President of Greece under th ...

, military dictator during the Regime of the Colonels *

Dimitris Papamichael Dimitris Papamichael ( ; 29 August 1934 - 8 August 2004) was a popular Greek actor and director. In 1965, he married Aliki Vougiouklaki Aliki Stamatina Vougiouklaki (Greek: Αλίκη Σταματίνα Βουγιουκλάκη Greek pronunc ...

, actor and director * Alexandros Papanastasiou, lawyer *

Andreas Papandreou Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (, ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek academic and economist who founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and served three terms as Prime minister of Greece, prime minister of Third Hellenic Repu ...

* George Papandreou,

* Kalliroi Parren, feminist * Katina Paxinou, actress * George Polk, American journalist murdered during the Greek Civil War * Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, poet * Georgios Roubanis, athlete *

Demis Roussos Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; , ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek-Egyptian singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member, he is best remembered for his work in the progressive rock music act Aphrodite's Child, but as a ...

, singer *

Alekos Sakellarios Alekos Sakellarios (; 13 November 1913 in Athens – 28 August 1991 in Athens) was a Greece, Greek writer and a director. He was born in Athens and grew up in Agios Panteleimonas, Athens, Agios Panteleimonas and began to study journalism a ...

, director, screenwriter, lyricist * Rita Sakellariou, singer * Christos Sartzetakis,

President of Greece The president of Greece, officially the president of the Hellenic Republic (), commonly referred to in Greek as the president of the Republic (, ΠτΔ), is the head of state of Greece. The president is elected by the Hellenic Parliament; the ...

, amateur

who excavated the site of

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

* Sophia Schliemann, his second wife, philanthropist * Giorgos Seferis, poet *

Seraphim A seraph ( ; pl.: ) is a Angelic being, celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Christian angelology and ...

, Archbishop of Athens * Angelos Sikelianos, poet *

Costas Simitis Konstantinos G. Simitis (; 23 June 1936 – 5 January 2025) was a Greek politician who led the 'Modernization' movement of Greece . He succeeded in leadership Andreas Papandreou, the founder of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), and s ...

Spyros Spyromilios Spyros Spyromilios (; 1864–1930) was a Greek Gendarmerie officer and guerrilla fighter who took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, and the Balkan Wars. In 1914 he proclaimed the Autonomy of his native tow ...

, military officer * Michael Tositsas, benefactor *

Charilaos Trikoupis Charilaos Trikoupis (; 11 July 1832 – 30 March 1896) was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895. He is best remembered for introducing the vote of confidence in the Greek constitution, p ...

* Antonis Tritsis,

Mayor of Athens The mayor of Athens is the head of Athens#municipality of Athens, Athens. The current mayor is Haris Doukas who assumed office on 1 January 2024. Kingdom of Greece (1832–1924) Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935) Kingdom of Greece (1935 ...

Vassilis Tsitsanis Vassilis Tsitsanis ( 18 January 1915 – 18 January 1984) was a Greek songwriter and bouzouki player. He became one of the leading Greek composers of his time and is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Rebetiko and Laiko music. Tsi ...

rebetiko Rebetiko (, ), plural rebetika ( ), occasionally transliterated as rembetiko or rebetico, is a term used to designate previously disparate kinds of urban Greek music which in the 1930s went through a process of musical syncretism and develope ...

composer * Ioannis Varvakis, member of

Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria () or Society of Friends () was a secret political and revolutionary organization founded in 1814 in Odesa, Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule in Ottoman Greece, Greece and establish an Independenc ...

* Thanasis Veggos, actor *

Sofia Vembo Sofia Bembou (; 10 February 1910 – 10 March 1978), known professionally as Sofia Vembo (), was a leading Greek singer and actress active from the interwar period to the early postwar years and the 1950s. She became best known for her perfor ...

, singer *

Aliki Vougiouklaki Aliki Stamatina Vougiouklaki (Greek: Αλίκη Σταματίνα Βουγιουκλάκη Greek pronunciation: ˈlici stamaˈtina vuʝuˈklaci 20 July 1934 – 23 July 1996) was a Greek cinema and theater actress, singer and theatrical produc ...

, actress * T.H. White, author * Emmanuil Xanthos, a founder of the

* Nikos Xilouris, singer and composer * Nikos Zachariadis, politician,

General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

of the

Communist Party of Greece The Communist Party of Greece (, ΚΚΕ; ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Greece. It was founded in 1918 as the Socialist Workers' Party of Greece (SEKE) and adopted its current name in Novem ...

(KKE) from 1931 to 1956 *

Napoleon Zervas Napoleon Zervas (; May 17, 1891 – December 10, 1957) was a Hellenic Army officer and resistance leader during World War II. He organized and led the National Republican Greek League (EDES), the second most significant (after National Liberation ...

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the army, land force of Greece. The term Names of the Greeks, '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches ...

officer and WWII resistance leader * Ernst Ziller, architect * Xenophon Zolotas,

Gallery

File:Athens Cemetery - Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών - panoramio.jpg, Entrance File:Graves at the First Cemetery of Athens 01.jpg, Graves at the First Cemetery of Athens File:Atenas, Primer Cementerio 15.jpg, Angel statue File:Grave of Sir Richard Church.jpg, Grave of Richard Church File:Archbishop Damaskinos grave.JPG, Grave of Damaskinos of Athens File:Tomb of Konstantinos Kanaris in Athens.png, Grave of Konstantinos Kanaris File:Atenas, Primer Cementerio 05.jpg, Grave of Adamantios Korais File:Papandreou grave.jpg, Grave of

File:Grave of Kalliroi Parren.jpg, Grave of Kalliroi Parren File:Sofia Vembo(3).JPG, Grave of

File:Graves at the First Cemetery of Athens 03.jpg, General view File:DSC-0036-athens-first-cemetery-2017.jpg, Entrance to the chapel

References

* '' Papyrus Larousse Britannica'', 2006

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:First Cemetery Of Athens Cemeteries in Greece National cemeteries Eastern Orthodox cemeteries in Greece Roman Catholic cemeteries Anglican cemeteries in Europe Lutheran cemeteries Buildings and structures in Athens Tourist attractions in Athens 1837 establishments in Greece