Tzistarakis Mosque

The Tzistarakis Mosque is a former Ottoman mosque located in Monastiraki Square, central Athens, in the Attica region of Greece. Built in 1759 by the Ottoman governor Mustapha Agha Tzistarakis, the building has been repurposed as a traditional art museum and now serves as an annex of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture. It stands as one of the most important surviving testimonies to the Ottoman period in Athens, situated in one of the city's most historically layered urban spaces where ancient, Byzantine, Ottoman, and neoclassical elements converge.

The mosque was commissioned and completed in 1759 by Mustapha Agha Tzistarakis, the Ottoman voevoda (governor) of Athens, during the period of Ottoman rule that had begun in 1456. According to tradition, Tzistarakis used one of the pillars of the Temple of Olympian Zeus to make lime for the building's stucco, though it is more probable that he used a column from the nearby Hadrian's Library. This act provoked strong reaction; the Turks considered it sacrilege that would unleash vengeful spirits upon the city, and Tzistarakis was dismissed from his post. When a plague outbreak followed in the same year, many Athenians interpreted it as confirmation of the curse.

During the Greek War of Independence, the building served as an assembly hall for local town elders. After Greek independence, it was adapted to various secular uses: it hosted a ball in honor of King Otto of Greece in March 1834, and subsequently functioned as barracks, prison, and storehouse. The original minaret at the southwestern corner was demolished between 1839 and 1843.

In 1915, the architect Anastasios Orlandos supervised a partial rebuilding, and in 1918 the structure was assigned to the newly founded Museum of Greek Handicraft. The museum was renamed the National Museum of Decorative Arts in 1923 and later became the Museum of Greek Folk Art. In 1966, the building was provisionally refurbished to serve as a place of prayer during the stay of the deposed King Saud of Saudi Arabia. The main collections moved to 17 Kydathinaion Street in 1973, leaving the mosque as an annex. The building was damaged by an earthquake in 1981 and remained closed for restoration until reopening in 1991. Following further renovation, it now operates as part of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture.

The Tzistarakis Mosque currently houses an exhibition dedicated to the history of the museum itself, tracing its evolution from the Museum of Greek Handicraft founded in 1918 through its various iterations to the present Museum of Modern Greek Culture. The exhibition presents emblematic objects of modern Greek culture dating from the 17th century to the mid-20th century, including the museum's first acquisition: a woman's bridal and festive attire from 17th-century Skyros. Collections of heirlooms from the 1930s to the 1970s are also displayed, with the curatorial approach emphasizing the connection between objects and the stories of the people who used them. The V. Kyriazopoulos Traditional Pottery Collection, which had remained in the mosque since 1973, continues to be associated with the site.

The exhibition's narrative is anchored by significant pieces that illustrate the museum's collecting history. The earliest acquisition, the 17th-century bridal and festive costume from Skyros, represents the foundation of the institution's ethnographic mission. Heirloom collections spanning the 1930s to the 1970s demonstrate the museum's continued engagement with material culture across different periods of modern Greek history. The V. Kyriazopoulos Traditional Pottery Collection, which specializes in ceramics, has been a long-standing component of the holdings displayed at this annex. These objects collectively serve to document the cultural context and collecting policies that shaped the institution across its century of existence.

The Tzistarakis Mosque is a two-story structure with a square plan, situated in Monastiraki Square in the area historically known as Kato Pazari (Lower Bazaar). The lower story, at the level of the square, originally housed shops and commercial spaces; the upper story contains the rectangular prayer hall. This prayer hall is covered by a hemispherical dome resting on an octagonal drum, roofed with ceramic tiles. Two rows of windows along the side walls and smaller circular windows at the base of the dome provide natural light for the interior.

On the western side, an open colonnaded portico with three arches and three small domes projects from the prayer hall. The somewhat asymmetrical appearance of this portico has suggested to scholars that it may represent a second phase of construction. The entrance to the prayer hall is in the western wall, framed in marble, with the founder's inscription preserved above the door. Small exterior mihrabs flank the door for outdoor prayer. Inside, the mihrab is set in the middle of the eastern wall, elaborately decorated with muqarnas (honeycomb vaulting), painted vegetal motifs, and inscriptions. The interior was originally a unified space but was later divided into two levels.

The building occupies a remarkable site in central Athens, with the pillars of Hadrian's Library visible through its arches and the Acropolis rising directly above, creating a striking juxtaposition of ancient Greek, Roman, and Ottoman architecture.

The Tzistarakis Mosque is located at Areos 1, Athens 105 55, Greece, in Monastiraki Square in the heart of central Athens. It is immediately adjacent to the Monastiraki metro station, served by lines 1 and 3, making it easily accessible from anywhere in the city. The site is also within walking distance of major attractions including the Roman Agora, the Acropolis, Hadrian's Library, and the Monastiraki Flea Market.

The monument operates as an annex of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture. Its opening hours are 09:30 to 16:30, closed on Tuesdays, with the same schedule maintained year-round. Contact can be made through the museum at +30 210 3242066 for the mosque or +30 210 3239382 for the main museum office, and via email at mnep@culture.gr. The building is owned and administered by the Greek state as part of the national museum system.