Athenian antiquity

Ancient relics have been given a fresh lease of life in the Greek capital, where they've been reimagined and reworked to coexist with the 21st-century city.

- Farida Zeynalova

Surrounded by baby clothes and frilly cardigans, it’s hard to believe I'm here to learn about Greek history. But beneath the children’s department of Zara on Stadiou Street lie the remnants of a Roman tomb. There isn't a label or signpost in sight. Nothing to say who built it, why it’s here or when it was discovered. Above my head is a reinforced glass panel, on which dozens of shoppers unwittingly walk over a mysterious, most likely 2,000-year-old artefact.

"Athens is a very alive city," says Tina Kyriakis. Born in the southern suburbs, my guide for the day is founder of the tour companies Alternative Athens and Back to the Routes. "Look at the city as a living organism," she says. "We don’t think, 'OK, let’s build on top of or repurpose this building' — it’s just a continuity of life, a natural progression. It’s not intentional."

It’s this progression that's led to Athens revealing itself in layers. Think of it as an architectural moussaka. At the bottom are remnants of the ancient city dating back to the fifth century BCE, tucked underneath Metro stations, clothes shops and residential buildings. In the middle, a mixture of its Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and neo-classical past. And, finally, 21st-century Athens, the bechamel sauce in this analogy, sits on top of everything that came before.