ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ - ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Page 75

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The Sacred Way today
T
he Sacred Way is the oldest road of our country,
and the only national road connecting Athens to
Northern Greece, Epirus and the Peloponnese for
2500 years, until the cosntruction of the national road to
Lamia.
Inevitably, the Chaidari city centre developed around
the Sacred Way, mainly at the crossroads with Phokaias
Street, which concentrated all bus services and shops
and thus weaved a sense of social integration for the
people of Chaidari, despite daily difficulties.
The Dromokaiteion Psychiatry was founded by G.
Dromokaitis from Pyrgi of Chios in 1887 upon the Sacred
Way. It attracted many Chiots, who created their own
neighbourhood.
After the Asia Minor destruction, about 50 refugee
families from Phokaia settled almost upon the Sacred
Way. They built a church to house the icon of the
Dormition of the Virgin, which they had saved. This is the
metropolitan church of the city today.
Following the Sacred Way we come across the Botanical
Garden of the University of Athens. Then, the hill of
Prophitis Ilias accommodated the Pythionike monument
and is a visitor attraction today. In the corner of Perraivou
Street and the Sacred Way is the old Town Hall, which
is a listed building. The ancient way may be seen in the
excavation of Kolokotroni Street.
Since 1956, the construction of the Kavalas Avenue
shifted the traffic stress to Palataki area, where the new
City Hall lies. The Chaidari Municipality has worked on
the aesthetic enhancement of the Sacred Way since
1984 and particularly since 2001, during the office of K.
Nteniakos.
The upgrading of the Sacred Way by the Municipality of Chaidari has
altered the city’s modern face.
The Aphaia Sanctuary, a major stop of the Classical
Eleusinian procession, has been protected since 2003-
2005, while next to it, there are two new modern
settlements with all necessary infrastructure. The Sacred
Way then meets the Skaramangas coast, the only
swimming option for west Athens. The shipyards have
been a major blow to the area since the 1950s. The
Chaidari Municipality has asked for the return of the
area that is not used any more in order to convert it to a
place of recreation. This request is annually reminded by
the local festival in the end of June.
Up: The modern settlement of Aphaia Skaramanga near the sanctuary of Aphrodite.
Down: The Diomedian Botanical Garden along the Sacred Way; an invaluable section of oxygen producing vegetation