Athens Fairytopia: In search of the lost Ilissos

Did you know that the Ilissos was the river that ran across all of Athens? It ran down from Imittos, fed the Lyceum and watered the gardens of the Duchess of Plaisance. On its shores spread the Stadium and the Temple to Olympian Zeus, the temple of Artemis and the Shrine of the Muses, while the Kalliroe Spring offered cooling water for passersby. Foreigners on grand tours during Ottoman rule sketched Athenians in elaborate costumes resting beside its gentle flow.

Today the Ilissos still flows under the asphalt to the sea, while the tram runs along its former riverbed. After studying maps and books in the Onassis Library showing the landscape, flora, and fauna, the gods and humans of this historic land of nereids, we will visit the space around the Church of Agia Fotini Ilissos to get inspired and create a 3-D map. Using pictograms, like a new form of needlework, we will mark on paper and fabric the history and changes this holy river endured over the centuries.