Wanloria › Destinations › Athens › Tzistarakis Mosque
Tzistarakis Mosque
The Tzistarakis Mosque is in Monastiraki Square, next to the metro exit. It was built in 1759 by the Ottoman governor of Athens, Mustafa Agha Tzistarakis. According to tradition, he used a column from the Temple of Olympian Zeus to make lime, although historians think it may have come from Hadrian's Library; the act was regarded as sacrilege and cost him his post. After independence it was used for a ball in honour of King Otto in 1834, and also as a barracks, prison and warehouse. In 1915 Anastasios Orlandos directed a reconstruction, and from 1918 to 1973 it housed the Museum of Greek Folk Art. After damage in the 1981 earthquake, it was restored and reopened in 1991. Today it is an annexe of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture, with an exhibition on the history of the museum.
Add it to your trip on Wanloria →Things to do at Tzistarakis Mosque: 2 missions
- Visit the exhibition on the museum's historyIf it is open, go in and see the exhibition on the history of the museum that is now housed there.
- Photograph the mosque with the Acropolis behind itFrom the north side of Monastiraki Square, frame the dome and portico of the mosque with the rock of the Acropolis in the background.
Near Tzistarakis Mosque
Frequently asked questions
What are the opening hours of Tzistarakis Mosque?
9:30-16:30 (última entrada 16:10); cerrada los martes.
How much time do you need for Tzistarakis Mosque?
Allow about 15 min for the visit.
What is there to do at Tzistarakis Mosque?
Visit the exhibition on the museum's history and Photograph the mosque with the Acropolis behind it.
What is there to see near Tzistarakis Mosque?
Calle Ermou (78 m), Mercadillo de Monastiraki (105 m) and MS Roof Garden (107 m).