Monastiraki Square

You're in the liveliest square in the centre, where Athens mixes its eras without asking permission. Look around: in a single glance you take in almost two thousand years of history and a vendor selling sesame bread rings.

1The little monastery

The name comes from the church you see sunk below the level of the square, the Panagia Pantanassa. It was the centre of a large monastery and, to Athenians, the “monastiraki”, the little monastery. Its current bell tower and façade are the result of modern rebuilding, but the church itself is much older.

2A square of layers

Behind the mosque rise the columns of Hadrian's Library, built around AD 132 by the same emperor as the arch. It was more than a library: it had a courtyard with a garden, a pool and reading rooms. And beneath your feet runs the metro: the station is the heir to the Piraeus railway, which reached this spot in 1895. When the modern line was dug, ancient remains came to light, and you can see them inside the station itself.

Monastiraki is the Athens that sells, haggles and never stops.

From here Ifestou Street sets off, with its flea market of antiques and second-hand finds, and all around are some of the oldest souvlaki grills in the city.

3What to look for

• The Pantanassa church, several steps below the square.
• The columns of Hadrian's Library, behind the mosque.
• The Acropolis, rising above the rooftops to the south.