Kerameikos
Kerameikos is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Athens audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Athens Athens guide
About Kerameikos
The word 'ceramic' was born in this quiet green hollow, once the potters' quarter, then the great cemetery of Athens, where two famous gates opened the road to Eleusis.
Kerameikos is an archaeological site in central Athens that takes its name from the ancient deme of Kerameis, the district of the potters. The Greek word keramos, meaning potter's clay, is the root of the English word ceramic. The clay-rich banks of the small Eridanos stream, which still crosses the site, made the area a centre of pottery and, over many centuries, the city's most important cemetery. The Street of the Tombs was lined with elaborate grave monuments of prominent Athenian families.
Two gates in the ancient city wall stood here: the Sacred Gate, from which the Sacred Way led to Eleusis, and the double Dipylon Gate, the starting point of the Panathenaic procession. Outside lay the Demosion Sema, the public burial ground for Athens' war dead. Systematic excavation began in 1870 and has continued since 1913 under the German Archaeological Institute. An on-site museum displays finds from the cemetery.
Did you know? Since 1913 the site has been dug by the German Archaeological Institute at Athens, though the first systematic excavation began back in 1870 under the Greek Archaeological Society. Few sites have been studied so patiently.
How long should you spend at Kerameikos?
Plan about ~60 min at Kerameikos. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Kerameikos worth visiting?
Kerameikos is one of the 35 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Athens, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Athens
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Kerameikos and read more:
Day 1 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 1 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Kerameikos
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