Fodor's Expert Review Old University Complex
In the sea of concrete that is Central Athens, this imposing group of white marble buildings, known as the Athenian Trilogy, gleams majestically under perfect azure skies like an illusion of classical antiquity. The three dramatic buildings belonging to the University of Athens were designed by the Hansen brothers in the period after independence in the 19th century and are built of Pendelic marble, with tall columns and decorative friezes. In the center is the University, after which Panepistimiou (panepistimio means university) Street is named, with its huge colorful mural. To the right is the Academy, flanked by two slim columns topped by statues of Athena and Apollo; paid for by the Austro-Greek Baron Sina, it is a copy of the Parliament in Vienna. Frescoes in the reception hall depict the myth of Prometheus. At the left end of the complex is a griffin-flanked staircase leading to the National Library, which has been housed in the building since 1903 and contains more than... READ MORE
In the sea of concrete that is Central Athens, this imposing group of white marble buildings, known as the Athenian Trilogy, gleams majestically under perfect azure skies like an illusion of classical antiquity. The three dramatic buildings belonging to the University of Athens were designed by the Hansen brothers in the period after independence in the 19th century and are built of Pendelic marble, with tall columns and decorative friezes. In the center is the University, after which Panepistimiou (panepistimio means university) Street is named, with its huge colorful mural. To the right is the Academy, flanked by two slim columns topped by statues of Athena and Apollo; paid for by the Austro-Greek Baron Sina, it is a copy of the Parliament in Vienna. Frescoes in the reception hall depict the myth of Prometheus. At the left end of the complex is a griffin-flanked staircase leading to the National Library, which has been housed in the building since 1903 and contains more than 2 million Greek and foreign-language volumes; the books are now being transferred to their new home, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
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