First Cemetery of Athens
Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών
Foreground: Tomb of the Pesmazoglou family (right) and Melina Mercouri (middle). Background: Tomb of Heinrich Schliemann (left on the high pedestal).
Details
Established1837
Location
Central Athens
CountryGreece
Coordinates37°57′47″N 23°44′16″E / 37.96306°N 23.73778°E / 37.96306; 23.73778
Tomb of Sofia Afentaki with the Sleeping Female Figure statue, a work of Yannoulis Chalepas.
Tomb of Georgios Averoff.
Tomb of Heinrich Schliemann.
Tomb of Theodoros Kolokotronis.

The First Cemetery of Athens (Greek: Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών, Próto Nekrotafeío Athinón) is the official cemetery of the City of Athens and the first to be built. It opened in 1837 and soon became a prestigious cemetery for Greeks and foreigners. The cemetery is located behind the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathinaiko Stadium in central Athens. It can be found at the top end of Anapafseos Street (Eternal Rest Street). It is a large green space with pines and cypresses.[1]

In the cemetery there are three churches. The main one is the Church of Saint Theodores and there is also a smaller one dedicated to Saint Lazarus. The third church of Saint Charles is a Catholic church. The cemetery includes several impressive tombs such as those of Heinrich Schliemann, designed by Ernst Ziller; Ioannis Pesmazoglou; Georgios Averoff; and one tomb with a famous sculpture of a dead young girl called I Koimomeni ("The Sleeping Girl") and sculpted by Yannoulis Chalepas from the island of Tinos. There are also burial areas for Protestants and Jews, however, this segregation is not compulsory.

The cemetery is under the Municipality of Athens and is declared a historical monument.

Notable interments

References

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