Panagia Gorgoepíkoös (Mikrí Mitropolí), Athens
The little Mikrí Mitropolí in late afternoon. Photo © Peter Brubacher.
The lovely Mikrí Mitropolí in full sunshine. Photo
Pierre Metivier.
Interesting old friezes on the facade. Photo
Pierre Metivier.The Panagia Gorgoepíkoös ("Our Lady Who Swiftly Hears") is a small 12th-century church in Pláka, central Athens, Greece. It is affectionately known as the Mikrí Mitropolí (Little Cathedral), for the little church, sizeable enough when Athens was only a village, is now dwarfed by the neighboring Mitrópoli.
What to See
The Little Cathedral measures only 25 feet long by 40 feet wide. The domed cruciform church was built entirely from white Pentelic marble, which has weathered to a more creamy hue.
Decorated with friezes and bas-reliefs taken from earlier buildings, the exterior of the Panagia Gorgoepíkoös mixes Romanesque and Byzantine styles. The frieze over the main entrance, depicting the months of the year, dates from the 4th century BC. A Greek cross was added to the center in the 12th century when the church was built.
The small interior features a checkerboard floor about a foot lower than current ground level, four supporting brick pillars (which replaced the original marble ones in 1834), and an iconostasis.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Panagia Gorgoepíkoös, Church of Our Lady Who Swiftly Hears, Mikrí Mitropolí, Little Cathedral |
| Dedication: | Panagia Gorgoepíkoös (Our Lady Who Swiftly Hears) and Agios Elefthérios (the patron saint of childbirth) |
| Type of site: | Greek Orthodox church |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
| Dates: | 12th century |
| Size: | 25x40 feet |
| Location: | Plateía Mitropóleos, Pláka, Athens, Greece |
| Metro: | Monastiráki |
| Hours: | Daily 7am to 7pm |
Sources
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the "Little Cathedral" of Athens, just south of the much larger Mitropoli. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Athens Map or get our free Google Earth download.
