Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Gorgoepikoos and Saint Eleutherius

The small church of Saint Eleutherius is built entirely of reused marble blocks from older, pagan monuments. You can see the jumble of history on the exterior walls, where ancient reliefs, theater masks, and carved inscriptions are fitted together like a puzzle. Empress Eirene commissioned the structure in the late eighth century to serve as the cathedral for Athens. While the nearby Parthenon was then a Christian church, the local bishop preferred this intimate space for daily services and private prayer.