Kathimerini English
Tinos villagers rebuild bulldozed path, then watch it fall again
An entrenched sense of impunity prevails in Greece's tourist areas, particularly on its islands, and one more case of a path destroyed to make way for construction, this time on Tinos, has exposed it. In the village of Arnados, about 8 kilometers north...
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The tram's unseen progress, Athens' visible gridlock
Athens has expanded its tram depot in Elliniko, delivering a long-delayed but largely unseen infrastructure project intended to improve the network's operational capacity as passenger numbers grow. The €14.37 million project, officially handed over two...
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Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has opened `Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires,' an exhibition tracing the city's history from its founding in 330 AD to the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. Curated by Tim Stanley, it gathers...
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Tribute celebrates the life and music of Dionysis Savvopoulos
A tribute to Dionysis Savvopoulos, one of Greece's most influential singer-songwriters, who died a year ago, brings leading performers for a musical journey through his life and work, with songs, storytelling and illustrations by artist Alexis...
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A metro station that may come – and buildings that may rise
A proposal to increase building density along Athens' Kifissias Avenue has reignited a long-running debate over development and preservation in the affluent suburbs of Psychiko and Filothei. A study submitted for public consultation proposes two...
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Beneath Santorini, a volcanic past far more explosive emerges
Deep beneath Santorini's waters, scientists have uncovered evidence of a volcanic past far more explosive than previously understood. Research drilling conducted under the international Ocean Discovery Program has revealed a previously unknown pumice...
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Athens weighs Washington's new balance
The Republican losses in the American midterm elections came as little surprise in Athens, where officials had long recognized the political difficulties facing President Donald Trump's administration. Athens welcomed the reelection of six Americans of...
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The ghosts, ruins and reinventions of Greek architecture
From Knossos to the Xenia hotels, a major exhibition in Athens traces the architectural history of Greece through 37 landmark projects, exploring how buildings shape cultural identity and collective memory. `Architecture in Greece – The Mysterious...
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The missing hands of the olive harvest
Greece's olive harvest faces severe threats from migrant worker shortages, driven by diplomatic bottlenecks and soaring production costs. Despite a 2022 agreement with Bangladesh, procedural delays at the embassy in New Delhi – where just two staff...
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The poetics of Athens' beautiful mess
Athens is a city of contradictions, where ancient monuments coexist with concrete apartment blocks, crumbling neoclassical buildings, rooftop antennas, graffiti and makeshift balconies. For six artists, however, its beauty lies precisely in this...
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Greek flag raised aboard new naval frigate in France
Greece has formally taken delivery of the Nearchos, its second FDI-class frigate, in a ceremony held Friday in Lorient, France, marking another step in the country's naval modernization program. The Greek flag was raised aboard the vessel as Commander...
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Human evolution was never a straight line
Greek paleoanthropologist Katerina Harvati, a professor at the University of Tubingen, will receive the Albert Einstein World Award of Science in Argentina on November 2, recognizing her pioneering research into human evolution. Her work has helped...
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Rwanda tapped as EU migrant hub
Rwanda has emerged as the leading candidate to host a migrant return center outside the European Union, while Uganda remains an alternative, Greece's migration minister said, outlining plans for an agreement by January and a pilot opening in spring...
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Dozens arrested in €100 mln tax fraud
Greek authorities arrested businessman Angelos Giannakopoulos and 58 others in an investigation into tax fraud totaling €100 million, uncovering a network of shell companies, suspected money laundering and lucrative beach bar contracts obtained through...
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Athens’ neglected architectural gems
A neoclassical building in Athens’ historic Hafteia district reflects the architectural heritage that remains neglected across much of the Greek capital. From Omonia Square to Stadiou and Panepistimiou streets and Theatrou Square, abandoned or...
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Naval display sends message across Eastern Mediterranean
Greek and Israeli forces conducted a live-fire naval exercise in the northern Cretan Sea, showcasing guided missiles, torpedoes and joint maritime capabilities a day after eastern Libya's parliament ratified the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, an agreement...
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Reborn on the holy mountain
Nikos Gavriil Pentzikis, a leading writer and painter of Greece's generation of the '30s, visited Mount Athos 94 times between 1933 and 1992. A new exhibition by the Athonite Hearth of Thessaloniki traces that lifelong bond. The centerpiece is a...
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Police weigh two theories in drug-linked blast that injured 4
Police see criminal activity behind a bomb blast that wounded four people at an apartment building in Kolonos in Athens on Wednesday, and homicide investigators, not the counterterrorism unit, are leading the inquiry. The injured were two civilians and...
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Benghazi ratifies Turkey maritime deal
Greece will take “every appropriate action to safeguard its sovereign rights” after Libya's parliament, based in Benghazi, ratified the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, Athens' Foreign Ministry said. The move by Benghazi, which is practically controlled by...
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Rethinking how museums tell the story of WWII
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias launched an international museum conference on Monday at the War Museum of Athens, calling for a transformation in how historical memory is preserved. Organized alongside the UK's Imperial War Museums and Poland's Polish...
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The ancient horseman's long-awaited reunion
The Statue of a Rider, a celebrated Archaic Greek sculpture dating to 510-500 BC, has returned to public view at the Acropolis Museum, reunited with its original inscribed stone pedestal following its conservation and restoration. Now displayed in the...
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Crackdown on migrant sleeping dens
The Ministry of Citizen Protection plans to introduce legislation next week banning the systematic provision of individual beds or sleeping spaces in residential properties, with fines of up to €10,000 for violations. The proposal targets apartments,...
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Police launch `clean squares' operation in central Athens
Police launched an operation dubbed `Clean Squares' on Thursday, deploying officers to central Athens neighborhoods with high levels of everyday crime, including Agios Panteleimonas, Amerikis Square and Victoria Square. Officers spoke with residents...
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Deadly floods hit Rhodes as storms batter islands
A 62-year-old man died on Rhodes as torrential rains triggered flooding and extensive damage across the island, along with Evia and Skiathos, bringing Greece's flood-related death toll to at least four in 2026. On Rhodes, rainfall in the island's north...
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Smugglers race the winter, and Crete absorbs the rush
A total of 17 boats carrying migrants reached Crete's southern coast on Monday and Tuesday, the Greek coast guard said, mostly in the area overseen by the Ierapetra port authority. More than 500 people, most from Africa, remained at a former AGREX site...
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Gastronomos turns 20, and country's producers take a bow
Gastronomos, the magazine of the newspaper Kathimerini, marked its 20th birthday over the weekend with a towering multitiered cake, 13 awards and a chefs' table, drawing thousands of people to the courtyard and halls of Piraeus 260. The festival again...
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Rethinking marble beyond classical antiquity
Sculptor Vassilis Gerodimos works on a piece of Tinos marble in his studio. The son of a stonemason who grew up on construction sites, Gerodimos belongs to a generation of Greek sculptors redefining a medium long associated with classical antiquity....
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A quarter of teens eye influencer careers
One in four Greek teenagers wants a career tied to social media, such as becoming an influencer or digital content creator, according to a University of Athens study. The university's Laboratory of Counseling Science and Career Guidance surveyed 400...
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The long road from 1923 ends online
photograph of Palaio Faliro in 1930. The road at the bottom of the photograph is Poseidonos Avenue. Nearly a century after Greece's first organized cadastral survey, the municipalities of Kallithea and part of Palaio Faliro have been fully integrated...
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Strength of US-Greece ties reaffirmed
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Athens reaffirmed the strength of relations between Greece and the United States, with officials highlighting cooperation on defense spending, energy, migration and regional security. In meetings with...
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Late Greek lyricist's songs find new life at National Opera
`Didn't we owe her a night like this?' acclaimed singer and composer Dimitra Galani asked herself, beaming, in dressing rooms packed with people after the penultimate performance of `Even If You Leave,' a tribute to lyricist, radio producer and writer...
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Chipperfield unveils vision centered on public space
British architect David Chipperfield, selected to lead the expansion of Athens’ National Archaeological Museum, said construction could begin after design work is completed by early summer 2027. Speaking at the Athens Democracy Forum in the Greek...
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Surprise drill tests readiness across the country
Greece's armed forces conducted a surprise national exercise, codenamed `Alexandros,' across the entire country, from Evros to Crete and from Corfu to Kastellorizo. Activated by General Staff chief Dimitrios Choupis, the drill – which concluded Friday...
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Athens Forum weighs US midterms, AI and democracy
Thomas Friedman at left, Patrick Healy at center and Liz Alderman at right closed this year's Athens Democracy Forum with a wide-ranging discussion on the US midterm elections, the future of American democracy, AI and the implications for Europe,...
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Restored and returned: Nicopolis eyes UNESCO heritage list
Ancient Nicopolis, a site of exceptional historical, archaeological and cultural importance whose value extends beyond Greece’s borders, has been returned to the local community after the Culture Ministry completed major works to protect, restore,...
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Returned from war's long shadow: Sacred relics head home
Forty-eight ecclesiastical relics will return to Greece after a century in Bulgaria and will be presented Saturday at the Museum of Byzantine Culture. Seized in 1917 during World War I from the Panagia Eikosifoinissa Monastery, the Holy Precursor...
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Leak traced inside building in deadly Plaka blast
Investigators have concluded that the natural-gas leak behind the deadly explosion that destroyed a two-story building on Lysikratous Street in Plaka on Friday originated inside the structure, not in the main supply network. The blast killed six...
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An (un)orthodox gallery in a historic monastery
‘What breathes life into a gallery is temporary exhibitions,’ says Christos Kehagioglou, curator of ‘The Enigmantic World of Man,’ an exhibition of works by the celebrated late Greek painter Alekos Fassianos in the western tower of the 10th-century...
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Plaka residents flagged risks long before blast
A drone view shows an old building, partially collapsed, following an explosion in the Plaka area in central Athens on Friday. One year before the explosion on Lysikratous Street, residents of Plaka – a popular district with tourists – warned...
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Behind Greece's antiquities, stories of theft and survival
The National Archaeological Museum is unveiling the hidden histories behind some of its most celebrated antiquities, as part of European Heritage Days 2026, themed `Heritage at Risk – Revival, Resilience, Reflection,' from Friday through Sunday. A tour...
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Greece casts off a net from another era
After decades of restrictions and delays, Greece is moving to permanently ban the `vintzotrata,' a coastal dragnet, under a fisheries bill now before Parliament. The measure would remove the gear from fishing licenses and the National Fisheries...
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Ankara relies on drilling diplomacy
Turkey possesses the world's fourth-largest fleet of seabed research, seismographic and drilling vessels – and it is using it as a means to conduct foreign policy. The amassing of such a considerable fleet – 54 vessels – has not come cheap. Over the...
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Margaret Papandreou, activist, dies at 102
Margaret Chant-Papandreou, women's rights advocate, wife of a prime minister and mother of another, died early Friday in Athens, 12 days short of her 103rd birthday. She met Andreas Papandreou, himself the son of a prime minister, and then an...
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Flamingos, keeping an old appointment
Ten flamingos were spotted at the Nafplio-Nea Kios wetland in the Argolis region in southern Greece on Thursday, drawing residents and visitors who stopped to watch the birds wade through the shallow waters. The flamingos, easily identified by their...
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How a tiny invader is redrawing a Greek lagoon's shoreline
Scientists have documented a rare Mediterranean phenomenon in the Prokopos lagoon, near the Strofilia forest in northwestern Peloponnese: enormous ring-shaped reefs, some up to 15 meters wide, built by an invasive Australian marine worm. The species,...
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Athens' ancient burial ground steps into the present
The Kerameikos archaeological site, ancient Athens' most significant historical cemetery, has reopened to the public following extensive infrastructure upgrades and historical preservation works. The project introduces a new primary entrance and exit...
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A degree from Honolulu, and a trail of questions
Prosecutors on Monday upgraded charges against two doctors accused in the death of singer Giorgos Mazonakis. The 54-year-old died after suffering cardiac arrest while undergoing plasmapheresis – in which blood plasma is removed, filtered and returned...
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An (un)orthodox gallery in a historic monastery
‘What breathes life into a gallery is temporary exhibitions,’ says Christos Kehagioglou, curator of ‘The Enigmantic World of Man,’ an exhibition of works by the celebrated late Greek painter Alekos Fassianos in the western tower of the 10th-century...
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A workout for the mind, a lifeline for aging
Across seven Greek communities, older adults are gathering at `Memory Gyms,' pilot centers run by the Athens Alzheimer Association through the Healthy Mind program. Participants over 60, motivated by fears of dementia and a desire to stay mentally...
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Renewing a landscape of remembrance
The Defense Ministry has approved plans to upgrade and highlight the Monument of the Unknown Soldier and its plaza, introducing changes aimed at improving accessibility, preservation and public understanding of the site. The proposal would replace...
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Mitsotakis, Macron discuss energy link
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held talks Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris for the International Space Summit, with discussions focusing on energy infrastructure, regional developments and bilateral...
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A new chapter at sea: Greece, Italy sign frigate pact
The signing of a bilateral implementing arrangement in Rome on Tuesday activated Greece's acquisition of two Italian FREMM frigates, marking a significant step in a growing defense partnership between Athens and Rome. Following the meeting between...
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Books under the stars: Athens launches annual literary festival
Books, music and open-air culture have officially taken over central Athens as the 54th Athens Book Festival, which opened to the public on September 4, held its official inauguration Monday evening. The beloved literary gathering launched at Pedion...
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PM couples relief with fiscal stability
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday defended a broad package of tax cuts, wage increases and social support measures, arguing that Greece's economic progress now allows the government to return more benefits to citizens while maintaining...
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Searching for parking in a city built around cars
Parking remains the top local concern for residents of Greater Athens, according to a GPO poll, reflecting how life depends on private cars. A 2026 study by researchers at the National Technical University of Athens found that more than six in 10...
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Ancient floors, fresh clues: Mieza's hidden story
New archaeological discoveries at the Royal Gymnasium of ancient Mieza in central Macedonia in northern Greece are reshaping understanding of the monument's architecture and functions, with mosaic floors preserved in two banquet halls emerging as the...
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Erdogan threats raise tensions again
Concern is growing in Athens that relations between Greece and Turkey could be entering a new period of heightened tension following remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that directly referenced Kastellorizo and revived rhetoric recalling...
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War on traffic congestion gets air support
Police on Tuesday unveiled Traffic Commander, a new traffic-management system that combines cameras, drones, motorcycle officers and conventional traffic police in an effort to prevent congestion before it spirals into gridlock. The system operated on...
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A deal with a geopolitical footprint
A defense agreement described by both sides as strategically significant was formally signed in Tel Aviv on Monday, linking Greece and Israel through what officials said is the largest contract ever concluded between the two countries. The €3 billion...
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Reconnecting Thessaloniki: Bridging past and present
Athens-based architecture firm Apostolopoulos Tasoulis has won the competition to unify Thessaloniki's archaeological sites and historical monuments. Unanimously selected by a jury of experts and ministry officials, the winning proposal, titled...
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Hunting the mosquitoes that carry a warning
Before maps fill with red zones and new West Nile virus cases are recorded, a quieter process unfolds in university laboratories across Greece. The Medical Entomology Unit of the University of West Attica's Infectious Disease Surveillance Laboratory...
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Badminton building comes down, 22 years after Olympics
The demolition of Athens' Badminton building, damaged by fire in July, began Thursday under the Defense Ministry, reviving a long-delayed plan tied to the city's Olympic legacy. Built for the 2004 Olympic Games as a temporary facility, the structure...
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Long wait ends as Thessaloniki extends its metro east
The long-delayed expansion of Thessaloniki's metro to Kalamaria enters service on Thursday, bringing to a close what officials describe as a 13-year odyssey. The 4.78-kilometer extension adds five stations – Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and...
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The photographer who captured a Greece that was fading
Nikos Desyllas, a photographer who spent more than five decades traveling across Greece, died recently at 83, leaving behind an unusually intimate record of a country in rapid change. Born in Athens in 1943 and raised in Corfu, Desyllas began working...
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Beneath the shadow of antiquity, mountains of waste
Across parts of rural Greece, the landscapes surrounding major archaeological sites, rivers and provincial roads have quietly become dumping grounds, burdened by years of illegal waste disposal and the limited capacity of municipalities to respond. A...
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A monastery's land claims ignite a rural church war
In a remote monastery high in the mountains of Fokida in central Greece, a campaign to revive a struggling religious community spiraled into a bitter conflict over land, power and a lucrative solar-energy project. Research at the Monastery of Panagia...
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The Athens workshop turning tourists into marble carvers
In a marble workshop in Mets, an Athens neighborhood, tourists are trading sightseeing for chisels. For about a year, the Georgiou family, third-generation sculptors, has opened its workshop to visitors eager to try the fading craft of marble carving....
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From recycling centers to the courthouse
The Attica Regional Authority and ESDNA, the Intermunicipal Agency of the Attica Region, have taken their dispute with recycling company TEXAN to court, seeking 29,000 tons of recyclable material, or €6 million, its estimated value. The claim covers...
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Ancient Nicopolis prepares for its next act
The Culture Ministry is moving ahead with the restoration of the lower seating section of the ancient theater of Ancient Nicopolis in northwestern Greece, following completion of the restoration study for that part of the monument. The intervention is...
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Greek-owned ships hit as maritime risks deepen
The global shipping industry remained on high alert after a series of attacks on commercial vessels in two of the world's most strategic waterways – the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz – left casualties, destroyed ships and heightened concerns over...
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From Anafi to Antiparos, a quiet literary trail
On islands where newspapers often run out before the ferry even docks, small bookshops are thriving against the odds. On Anafi, a two-year-old shop called Arsenale occupies a former boathouse in the port of Agios Nikolaos, with no fulltime host as such...
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Statesman or old-style party politician?
Antonis Samaras is a complex and undoubtedly talented politician. A man of contradictions, he has never followed the conventional path to achieve what he wanted. On the one hand, he was the quintessential product of Greece's traditional establishment....
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Designing the metropolis of tomorrow
From London, architect Petros Tsoukalas is proposing a more ambitious future for Athens, a city he sees as rich in possibilities and potential but lacking a coherent urban identity. His `Reload Athens' proposals seek to reshape public space, create...
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