Athens' First Cemetery

Athens


Under Ottoman rule, Greeks buried their dead at their local church. Only after independence in 1821 was this city cemetery established. It's a peaceful place to explore, with beautiful neoclassical sculptures, including Sleeping Maiden by Yannoulis Chalepas, the most admired Greek sculptor of the modern era. Famous people buried here include the Benaki family and the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822–90), whose mausoleum is decorated with scenes from the Trojan War.


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