First Cemetery of Athens

Description:

• The First Cemetery of Athens (Greek: Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών) is the official cemetery of the City of Athens and the first to be built. It opened in 1837 and soon became a luxurious cemetery for famous Greek people and foreigners. The cemetery is located behind the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathinaiko Stadium in central Athens. It can be found at the top end of Anapafseos Street (Eternal Rest Street). It is large green space including pines and cypresses. In the cemetery there are three churches. The main is the Church of Saint Theodore and there is also a smaller of Saint Lazarus. The third church is a Catholic church. There are also separate places for protestants and Jews. The most impressive tombs are the tomb of Heinrich Schliemann, designed by Ernst Ziller, the tomb of Ioannis Pesmazoglou, that of Georgios Averoff and many others. But one of the most beautiful tombs must surely be the one named I Kimomeni (the Sleeping Girl), by the sculptor Yannoulis Chalepas, from the island Tinos. The cemetery is under the Municipality of Athens and it is declared as an historical monument.
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