Acharnean Gates - Aiolou 82

Direct access to ancient finds !!!

Our story under our feet!

Excellent aesthetic work, well done to the national bank that shaped the space.

Part of the walls of ancient Athens are revealed through the foundations of a state-of-the-art building housing the National Bank's administration. A must visit for any new Architect and / or Engineer.

In the northern part of the wall, at the intersection of today's Aeolus and Sophocles streets, there were the "Acharnes Gates", through which the road leading to Acharnes passed, following the direction of today's Aeolus and Patision streets. The eastern part of the city crossed a road that had the direction of today's Apollonos Street, passed through the "Diocharous Gates" of the ancient wall, followed the border of the National Garden and having the direction of Mourouzi and Vasilissis Sofias streets and led to Messia . Another road started from the east gate of the late Roman wall and following the direction of the current streets Flessa, Nikodimou and Souri, behind Sotira tou Lykodimou, passed between the National Garden and Zappeion, passed through the gate there Adrianou Poleos "and ended at the bridge of Ilissos at the entrance of the Stadium.

According to an information sign on the site: The excavations carried out by the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities on this plot brought to light part of the fortification of the ancient city of Athens which includes: Part of the Themistocles precinct (479 BC) with reconstructions from the late Roman period (3rd century AD), which probably belongs to the foundation of a tower that defined the location of the Acharnes Gate known from ancient times. Part of the rampart and the moat (4th century BC). Also discovered were the ancient road (5th century BC) that started from the Acharnes Gate and led from the city to the northern municipalities of Attica and mainly to the "multi-human" according to Thucydides municipality of Acharnes, as well as part of the Ring Road (4th century BC) which surrounded the entire fortification of the city. The location of the Acharnic Gate in this area is confirmed by the interruption of the moat and the rampart from the ancient road. The north continuation of the ancient road has been preserved at the archeological site of Kotzia Square. Today we can see the grooves of the train wheels that were kept on its deck. The Acharni Gate itself is not preserved, because most of it was destroyed in the 19th century by the construction of a neoclassical house. The isodomic walls that have been preserved and are modern with the ramparts are ramparts, which supported the slopes of the moat and held the pavements of the ancient road. The preservation and promotion of the antiquities were preconditions in the design of the new Administration Building of the National Bank of Greece. The restoration works and the promotion of the site are financed by the National Bank of Greece and are carried out by the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments and the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture.

The ancient walls of Athens in ... garages In antiquity they protected the city, now they need protection. The basements and uncovered apartment buildings in the area of ​​the historic center have much to testify and much to hide. They protected the city, its people and their goods, the sanctuaries and tombs of their fathers and heroes in antiquity. Today one should ring the bells of apartment buildings and ask to be allowed - if this is finally done - to see the remains of the fortifications of ancient Athens. As happened on several occasions when trying to enter the sites and photograph the antiquities, you met the direct or even indirect denial. After all, where the walls are buried is not for display.