Plaka is the oldest district of Athens. One of its main characteristics is the abundance of monuments that proves that this place is the heart of the city from ancient times to today. Among the monuments you will also find many small churches and a mosque, a hammam, the first university of Greece and the Roman Agora; a cultural amalgamation in the center of the city. After the war, the buildings of Plaka were declared as listed buildings and have been preserved ever since. Therefore, if you visit the area you will be able to see the city as it was 100 years ago. And after your walk in the narrow cobblestone streets of Plaka, you will definitely enjoy a good glass of wine in one of the many taverns beneath the Acropolis.
Anafiotika is a scenic tiny neighborhood, part of Plaka. The construction of this neighborhood on the north slope of the Acropolis began in mid-19th century when craftsmen (carpenters, stonecutters, masons etc.) from the island of Anafi but also from other Cycladic islands came to Athens in order to work. The first two inhabitants were G. Damigos, carpenter and M. Sigalas, construction worker and their example was followed later by other compatriots who came to Plaka to build their homes.
The two semi-ruined old churches in the area, St. George and St. Simeon, were restored and adapted and also acquired two new belfries. The small houses in the region are, according to K. Biris, an architectural sample of a 'simple but intelligent structural sense". Their flat roofs, connected to each other "as a flock white sheep" (A. Moraitidis) in conjunction with the narrow alleyways and steep steps make the place look like a picture taken on an island.
In 1922 refugees from Asia Minor started arriving and since then the composition of the population changed significantly. Around 1950, a part of the district was demolished due to archaeological excavations, while in 1970 extensive expropriations took place by the Ministry of Culture. Today there are only 45 houses which have been declared as listed buildings. It is noteworthy that the streets of the area bounded between Stratonos street and the rock of the Acropolis, remain without a name and the settlements are numbered as "Anafiotika 1, 2", etc.
