View of Hephaisteion of Athens in 2008 2

Peter von Hess - The Entry of King Othon of Greece in Athens - WGA11387

Attica 06-13 Athens 22 View from Acropolis Hill - Museum of Ancient Agora

Athen Odeon Herodes Atticus BW 2017-10-09 13-12-44

Thiseio or Thissio (, ) is a traditional neighbourhood in the old 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 ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, northwest of the

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...

, and surrounded by the archaeological sites of the

Agora The agora (; , romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Ancient Greece, Greek polis, city-states. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center ...

, Keramikos and Pnyx. The name refers to the

Temple of Hephaestus The Temple of Hephaestus or Hephaisteion (also "Hephesteum" or "Hephaesteum"; , , and formerly called in error the Theseion or "Theseum"; , ), is a well-preserved Greek temple dedicated to Hephaestus; it remains standing largely intact today. I ...

, which was mistakenly known as ''Thiseion'', in reference to

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

, the mythical king of Athens. The area is famous for its many pedestrian streets,

views, archaeological sites, churches, synagogues, cafés, open terraces and cultural meeting points. Thiseio is served by the nearby Thiseio metro station is connected to the other neighbourhoods of the old city of Athens through a network of pedestrian streets passing across the major archaeological sites.

Residential streets

Here is a list of residential streets in the Thiseio area:

Archaeological center

Thiseio is surrounded by hills, heights and historical sites which are within a walking distance. The

Ancient Agora of Athens The ancient Agora of Athens (also called the Classical Agora) is an ancient Greek agora. It is located to the northwest of the Acropolis, and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Agoraios ...

Stoa of Attalos The Stoa of Attalos (also spelled Attalus; ) was a stoa (covered walkway or portico) in the Agora of Athens, Greece. It was built by and named after King Attalos II of Pergamon, who ruled between 159 and 138 BC. The building was reconstructed ...

, the

and

Kerameikos Archaeological Museum The Kerameikos Archaeological Museum () is located in Kerameikos, Athens, Greece and was built in 1937. It houses many important early Geometric art pieces that date as far back as 860 BC. It was expanded in the 1960s by the Boehringer brothers of ...

can be entered from Thiseio; all others: the

National Observatory of Athens The National Observatory of Athens (NOA; ) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest List of research institutes in Greece, research foundation in Greece. The Observatory was the first scientific research insti ...

Acropolis of Athens The Acropolis of Athens (; ) is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several Ancient Greek architecture, ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, ...

Philopappos Monument The Philopappos Monument (, , ) is an ancient Roman mausoleum and monument dedicated to ''Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos'' or ''Philopappus'' (, 65–116 AD), a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in ...

, Mouseion Hill, Pnyx, which is considered the birthplace of

Democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

and the Mount Lycabettus can be easily reached or viewed from Thiseio. The panoramic views of them and their natural surroundings from the

Areopagus The Areopagus () is a prominent rock outcropping located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Its English name is the Late Latin composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Hill of Ares" (). The name ''Areopagus'' also r ...

height are spectacular, especially by night.

Historical landmarks

The historical churches of Agia Marina, the church of Agii Assomati, the church of Agios Athanasios Kourkouris and many others are situated in Thiseio. Also, situated in Thiseio are the two synagogues of modern Athens, Etz Chaim or Romaniote Synagogue and the Sepharadi Beth Shalom, the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

Memorial of Athens as well as the ancient Synagogue in the Agora of Athens inside the archaeological site. Beautifully restored neoclassical homes, small streets and many architectural landmarks and archaeological sites make Thiseio one of the most cultural, picturesque, distinguished and peaceful neighbourhoods of Athens and one of the most beautiful viewpoints of Acropolis. Due to Thiseio’s position, adjacently to other traditional and historical neighbourhoods and the major archaeological sites, pedestrian-only streets join them. Therefore, Athenians go for a leisurely walk around Thissio and enjoy cultural events and promenades along narrow serpentine-like paths which twist their way through historical sites. Apostolou Pavlou is a pedestrianized street which meets Dionysiou Areopagitou Street to form the main pedestrian zone around the archaeological site of

from Thiseio to the

. There are numerous small and friendly boutique shops, restaurants, cafés where people readily are welcomed and invited to socialize at leisure; all set in a quiet enclave and frequented by both tourists and locals alike. As one of the many entertainment centers of the city of Athens, Thiseio is rich in history and culture. It has museums, galleries, the two synagogues of Athens, exhibition centers and open-air theatres and cinemas.

Notable people

* Vasilis Avlonitis (1904–1970), actor * Charalabos (Babis) Drossos (1927–2015), Premier League football player

The N.O.A Meteorological Station

The

handles the most antique meteorological station in Greece and one of the oldest in

Southern Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

. The station is located at the center of

, in the Thiseio neighbourhood (Hill of Nymphs). The A class Meteorological station has been located at the same position from the 11th of September 1890; while it started its operation in 1858 at a different location in Thiseio.

References

External links

Informative text in English, attractions, and photos

William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875

Informative text in English, landmarks and photos
{{Athens Ancient Agora of Athens Neighbourhoods in Athens Squares in Athens Theseus