Monastiraki Square

Monastiraki, literally little monastery, is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece, and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The area is home to clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and specialty stores, and is a major tourist attraction in Athens and Attica for bargain shopping. The area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Church of the Pantanassa that is located within the square. The main streets of this area are Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street.
Monastiraki is one of the most renowned neighborhoods in central Athens partly because it belongs to the oldest part of the town and due to its traditional flea market. A vivid neighborhood with the aromas and arts of a bygone era still prominent!
If you happen to be there on a Sunday, make your way to Avissinias street and witness the real vintage spirit of this city! Take a stroll in Psyrri neighborhood, where small shops, traditional studios, street art gems, lunch spots and antique corners compose the local map of the district.
Across Ermou Street towards Thission, lies the pedestal that leads to Kerameikos, the ancient necropolis of the Athenians. Part of the Archaeological Path, Kerameikos cemetery is located northwest of the Acropolis, including a big area in and out of the city walls. This area has undergone multiple archaeological excavations revealing that part of the place was once used as the potters’ quarter and part as the burial place of Athenians.
Due to the proximity to the river Iridanos, the potters’ quarter used to frequently flood until the whole place turned into a cemetery.
This is the place where Pericles delivered his funeral oration in 431 BC, nowadays showcasing remains of Themistocle’s city walls and sites of the two gates. The Sacred one being the Street of the Tombs and the Dipylon Gate, northeast, operated as the main entrance to the city and was the starting point of the Panathenaic Procession.
A great insightful walking tour, taking you from the oldest district of Monastiraki, through the marvelous site of Kerameikos, till the modern part of the city, with industrial atmosphere and beloved street art murals, Gazi!
Reference: www.thisisathens.org