Daphni or Dafni is an eleventh-century Byzantine monastery eleven kilometers northwest of central Athens in the suburb of Chaidari, south of Athinon Avenue (GR-8A). It is situated near the forest of the same name, on the Sacred Way that led to Eleusis. The forest covers about 18 km2 (7 sq mi), and surrounds a laurel grove. "Daphni" is the modern Greek name that means "laurel grove", derived from Daphneion (Lauretum).
Daphni Monastery
A mosaic depicting the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem inside the monastery.
The Monaster of Daphni, drawn by Moncel Théodore (1843).
Ground Plan of the Monastery-Church at Daphni
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A major coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over three million, it is the eighth largest urban area in the European Union. The Municipality of Athens, which constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire urban area, had a population of 643,452 (2021) within its official limits, and a land area of 38.96 km2 (15.04 sq mi).
Image: The Acropolis from Mount Lycabettus on October 5, 2019 (cropped)
Image: La façade du Zappéion (Athènes) (30177808993)
Image: 2018 07 25 Monastiraki Square, Athens
Image: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens (Metropolis of Athens) in April 2019
