SPECIAL REPORT

athens-kypseli-and-its-third-youth
SOCIETY

Athens: Kypseli and its third youth

Pedion tou Areos park to the south, the Tourkovounia hills to the east, Galatsi and Alepotrypa Hill to the north and Patission Street to the west: These form the boundaries of Kypseli, a neighborhood that was part of the countryside until Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834.

‘Housing has become a commodity and the type of ownership has changed in Greece. It remains to be seen how this alters the human geography in apartment buildings and life in Athens’ neighborhoods,’ says Harokopio University professor of social geography Thomas Maloutas. [Antony Surace]
SOCIETY

Athens: The apartment block phenomenon

The Athenian apartment building is a living organism whose evolution reflects broader social and economic shifts, more recently from the decade-long financial crisis, followed by Athens’ emergence as a popular tourism destination, the advent of short-term leasing, the Golden Visa program and the ensuing influx of foreign capital, before the pandemic brought a pause in – though not a halt to – some fascinating developments.

athens-a-capital-in-transition
OPINION

Athens: A capital in transition

A string of unexpected events have changed Athens in the 21st century, from the economic crisis in 2008 to the pandemic in 2020, and from its new human geography and the redistribution of its population around the suburbs to the tourism rebound.

Landscape architect Helli Pangalou’s portfolio includes landmarks such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and the Faliro Bay revamp. [Nikos Kokkalias]
HELLI PANGALOU

Athens: A city that cannot be redrawn overnight

“A comprehensive plan for Athens is not something that can be done overnight. It’s a long-haul proposition that demands prioritized and orchestrated urban interventions, which then need time to mature.

A postcard from the beginning of the 20th century.
CULTURE

Athens: Wise, grumpy, happy and fragile

When I asked journalist and author Bruce Clark whether there is one thing about Athens that has remained unchanged through time, he immediately answered, “The Acropolis.” 

A photograph from inside the military transport plane, taken moments after takeoff.
SPECIAL REPORT

A Greek’s escape from Taliban-run Kabul

Just a few hours before abandoning the “green zone” and heading for Kabul airport Panagiotis Koumoutsakos and the executives of the multinational security firm he was working with received a visit from the local Taliban chief.

[Alexandros Avramidis]
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT

‘We fought man-to-man’ to hold the Evros border

A year after a failed attempt by thousands of undocumented migrants and refugees to force their way into Greece through its northeastern land border with Turkey, the Evros frontier has evolved into an almost impenetrable European fortress.

CIA station chief Richard Welch was gunned down in front of his wife and his driver after exiting this car to open the gate to his Athens home when returning from a party at the US ambassador’s residence.
IN-DEPTH

The assassination of Richard Welch

In December 1975, the death of a “non-random” American employee of the US Embassy in Athens triggered the subsequent development of Greek terrorism.

a-shift-in-sotiria-s-red-zone
SPECIAL REPORT

A shift in Sotiria’s ‘red zone’

Kathimerini visited the Sotiria Hospital in the northern Athenian suburb of Holargos for a glimpse into what goes on during a shift at the Covid-19 clinic.

 

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