This building displays the scars of the “Dekemvriana,” a dark time in modern Greek history.

Elaborate stone houses constructed from the ruins of war.

This Byzantine Church was moved from Paris to Athens block by block.

A historic building houses one of the most important archaeological institutes in Europe.

Since 1969, this restaurant has served up dishes typical of Istanbul's Greek diaspora.

Tear apart fatty, gently charred lamb chops with your bare hands.

Savor sheep milk yogurt at the last of Athens' dairy bars.

Underneath one of the region's most historic roads lies the home of Plato's successor.

The ruins of an ancient fortification wall sit in front of and underneath this boutique hotel.

When construction began on this hotel, developers were surprised to find the ruins of an ancient civilization.

This once architecturally advanced housing complex is now a haven for squatters that still bears the scars of war.

This abandoned shopping arcade has new life as an art installation.

Preserved portions of Athens's ancient defenses are on display in a subterranean parking garage.

A tiny Greek Orthodox church from the Ottoman era hides on a busy city street.

With no menu and no sign, this 130-year-old taverna doles out affordable home cooking.

There are many Byzantine-era churches still standing in Athens, but this is the only one with a 2,500-year-old column rising through its roof.

The ruins of an ancient mansion sits in front of and underneath a contemporary art gallery.

This small chapel holds the mummified heart of one of the heroes of the Greek Revolution.

A Byzantine church containing the holy remnants of three saints sits atop the site of an ancient temple.

A crushed gate and giant bronze head serve as a reminder of Greece's fight for freedom.

This graffitied 19th-century building was a prototype of European industrial architecture.

An often overlooked ancient site in downtown Athens with substantial history (and nature).

Scars of this building's past life as a violent prison still cover its walls.

The site where hundreds of Greeks were tortured by the Nazi secret police is now a cosmetics store.