The Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Metropolis, as it is also known, is one of the largest Orthodox churches in Athens. Metropolis, is one of the largest Orthodox churches in Athens and is located in Mitropoleos Square. Mitropoleos Square. The construction of the cathedral began on Christmas Day in 1842. The foundation stone was laid by King Otto of Greece and Queen Amalia.
To build the huge walls of the cathedral, marble from 72 destroyed churches. Three architects were involved in the design of the cathedral. Initially. Theophilus von Hansen designed the building. After the lower level of the building, construction was suspended due to lack of funds. A few years later. a few years later, the cathedral was continued by architect Dimitrios Zezos. After his after his death, the work was continued by the French architect François Boulanger. After 20 years. the work was completed. On 21 May 1862, in the presence of the King and Queen. was consecrated in honour of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.
The cathedral is a three-nave domed basilica 40 metres long, 20 metres in width and 24 metres in height. The architecture and interior decoration of the cathedral is predominantly in the Greco-Byzantine style.
The cathedral contains the tombs of two saints killed by the Turks. In the first rests Saint Philotheos. He was martyred by the Turks in 1559 for ransoming Greek women from Turkish harems. harems. The second is the tomb of Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople. He was hanged by the Turks during the Greek independence revolt. Until 1871. relics rested in the Trinity Greek Church of Odessa, after which they were moved to Athens Athens.
There are two statues in the square in front of the cathedral. The first is a monument to the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos (Dragash), the second one is a monument to the Archbishop Damascene (during World War II he was Archbishop of Athens, and in 1946 he became Archbishop of Athens. Athens and, in 1946, regent of King George II and Prime Minister of Greece).
The Metropolis is the seat of the Bishop of Athens and all of Hellas and is an important Greek Orthodoxy and an important spiritual centre of Greek Orthodoxy.
