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 ( el, Θησείο, ) is a traditional neighbourhood in the old city of

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, 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 (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of t ...

Keramikos Kerameikos (, ) also known by its Latinized form Ceramicus, is an area of Athens, Greece, located to the northwest of the Acropolis, which includes an extensive area both within and outside the ancient city walls, on both sides of the Dipylon Ga ...

and

Pnyx The Pnyx (; grc, Πνύξ ; ell, Πνύκα, ''Pnyka'') is a hill in central Athens, the capital of Greece. Beginning as early as 507 BC (Fifth-century Athens), the Athenians gathered on the Pnyx to host their popular assemblies, thus making t ...

. The name refers to the Temple of Hephaestus, which was mistakenly known as ''Thiseion'', in reference to

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describe ...

, 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 Thiseio ( el, Θησείο), also known as Thissio on signage, is one of the oldest stations in Athens Athens Metro Line 1, located in Thiseio at from Piraeus. It is located in Athens and took its name from the nearby Temple of Hephaestus which i ...

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 the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, 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 kn ...

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 BC and 138 BC. The current building was recon ...

, the Temple of Hephaestus 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 B ...

can be entered from Thiseio; all others: the

National Observatory of Athens The National Observatory of Athens (NOA; el, Εθνικό Αστεροσκοπείο Αθηνών) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific resea ...

, Acropolis of Athens, Philopappos Monument,

Mouseion Hill The Musaeum or Mouseion of Alexandria ( grc, Μουσεῖον τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας; ), which arguably included the Great Library of Alexandria, was an institution said to have been founded by Ptolemy I Soter and his son Ptolemy II Ph ...

, which is considered the birthplace of

Democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

and the Mount Lycabettus can be easily reached or viewed from Thiseio. The panoramic views of them and their natural surroundings from the Areopagus 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 Etz Hayim, also transliterated as Eitz Chaim ( , meaning "Tree of Life"), is a common term used in Judaism. The expression can be found in , referring to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. It is also found in the Book of Proverbs, where it i ...

or Romaniote Synagogue and the Sepharadi Beth Shalom, the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

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 Vasilis Avlonitis ( el, Βασίλης Αυλωνίτης; 1 January 1904 – 10 March 1970) was one of the most famous old-school Greek comedians. He performed in numerous films and stage productions in the mid to late 20th century. Vasilis Av ...

(1904–1970), actor * Charalabos (Babis) Drossos (1927–2015), Premier League soccer 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 the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...

. 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