The perception we have of Old Athens usually comes from black and white photographs of the early 20th century. They show us the transition of the capital of Greece from a provincial city to a European one, imitating the standards of other countries. In this, of course, the first urban city plan helped , which was prepared by Kleanthis-Schaubert, but also the great architectural interventions made through their work by architects such as Ernestos Chiller. also helped a lot.
How Athens looked before the revolution
That which is not clear to most, is the image that Athenshad during the 1821 pre-revolutional years. What did the Acropolis look like? What did Monastiraki look like? One of the most important and special historical records about it, was made by the Anglo-Irish tour operator and painter Edward Dodwell. He devoted his life to the study of the Cultures of the Mediterranean basin and left as a legacy of gravures of Athens, as well as other parts of Greece, before the revolution.
At 1801 specifficaly, together with George Gavras from Santorini and his compatriots William Gell and Atkins, they toured the Ionian Islands, Parga, Fokis, Boeotia and Athens. After finishing his tour and the recording of the history of various Aegean islands, he then visited Istanbul.
The images he left behind are typical of the picture of Athens at that time. You can see the Acropolis in the early 19th century. At that time, on the Holy Rock, one could distinguish the Frankish tower that is not preserved today among other things . 
On a journey from Nafpaktos and Galaxidi, Dodwell climbed to Parnassus mountain, visited Delphi and through the villages of Boeoteia arrived in Athens, where he took part in archaeological excavations.
He himself had written in the foreword of his travelogue. “I wanted to visit Greece, explore the antiquities, compare its past with the present and not omit anything that could be an object of interest or a source of joy for the antiquity-lover”And he did. Apart from him, of course, other excursionists managed to capture scenes and views of Athens in the period before 1821.
Images that take you on a travel through time
You can see what the bazaar looked like in Athens and the famous “Aerides” (Airs).Have a picture of the dirt roads and the Ottoman element which of course was very intense at the time. Not only in Athens but also in the rest of Greece. The images also show the vegetation in Athens, where sheep graze. It is rich and the rivers Ilisos and Kifissos give moments of coolness to the locals helping them grow fifty thousand olive trees.
Rare collections of gravures you can also find in the National Historical Museum which is the oldest institution of study of the modern history of our country. The evidence that tells the evolution of the modern Hellenism to this day has been exposed with great care in the museum for many years.
Another aspect of Athens that we certainly don’t see often…
Photo Source: www.nhmuseum.gr
Rare photos from Old Athens 1900
Frequently Asked Questions
Before the 1821 Greek Revolution, Athens was a provincial Ottoman city with a very different appearance than today. The Acropolis had a Frankish tower that no longer exists, and the city featured Ottoman elements, dirt roads, bazaars, and natural vegetation including olive groves and grazing sheep. The rivers Ilisos and Kifissos flowed through the city, and there were approximately fifty thousand olive trees. This period is documented through historical gravures and paintings left by travelers like Edward Dodwell.
Edward Dodwell was an Anglo-Irish painter and tour operator who devoted his life to studying Mediterranean cultures. In 1801, he traveled through Greece including Athens, the Ionian Islands, Parga, and various other regions. He created detailed gravures and paintings of Athens and other parts of Greece before the revolution, providing invaluable historical records of how the city looked in the early 19th century. His work documented the Acropolis, bazaars, Ottoman architecture, and daily life of the period.
Rare collections of gravures and historical images of pre-1821 Athens can be found in the National Historical Museum of Greece, the oldest institution dedicated to studying modern Greek history. The museum carefully preserves and displays evidence of how modern Hellenism evolved from the Ottoman period to the present day, including Edward Dodwell's works and images from other contemporary travelers.
Before 1821, Athens displayed strong Ottoman influence throughout the city. Historical images show Ottoman bazaars, a Turkish seminary called 'Mendreses', dirt roads, and Ottoman architectural elements. The Acropolis itself contained a Frankish tower during this period. The city was clearly under Ottoman rule, and this Ottoman character was present not only in Athens but throughout Greece during the pre-revolutionary era.
After the 1821 Greek Revolution, Athens underwent significant transformation from a provincial Ottoman city to a modern European capital. The city's development was guided by the first urban city plan prepared by Kleanthis-Schaubert and major architectural interventions by architects like Ernestos Chiller. These changes are documented in early 20th-century black and white photographs that show the city's transition to imitating European standards and becoming a proper European capital.
