Areos Street: Twenty centuries in 200 meters

In the bustling flea market on Ifestou Street, visitors can find black-and-white photographs and vintage postcards capturing Monastiraki Square in the early 20th century. One such photograph, which captures Areos Street and a portion of the Roman Library of Hadrian, was taken from a window of the Ottoman mosque in the square. This iconic building, formerly the Tzistarakis Mosque, a remnant of the Ottoman era, is my first stop.

Crossing the cobblestones of Monastiraki Square, I step inside this historic structure which, after Greece's independence, served as a barracks, a prison and a storage facility before being restored in 1915 by archaeologist Anastasios Orlandos to house the then newly established Museum of Modern Greek Culture. I explore the exhibits, pausing by the window overlooking Areos Street. While the view has changed over time, the road itself remains, inviting...