Athens
offers an array of great shopping opportunities, not only for typical Greek-style
souvenirs, but for haute couture, good art and jewellery. Whatever your
budget, you're bound to find something exciting to take home, whether you
want mass- produced items or unique hand-finished pieces.
Where to Shop
For undeniably tourist souvenirs, head forthe streets of Plaka
and you'll find mass-produced items of all kinds. They are in terspersed
with galleries,
T-shirt shops and numerous street hawkers selling fun toys or handmade budget
art. Monastiraki is the old bazaar
area of the city (the Sunday flea market is a must for collectors of old
china, memorabilia and furniture) and the myriad small shops sell all kinds
of collectables in addition to good-value street clothing. Kolonaki
is the favourite district of Athenians for the boutiques and home furnishings
stores that sell the best of European design. Prices match the quality here,
but if you don't want to spend, just sit at a streetside cafe and watch
the Athens jet-set do a little shopping.
The maze of streets around the Cathedral
offers religious souvenirs of all kinds. Incense bummers and icons and tamata
are the most portable. Athens Municipal Market
just south of Omonia Square offers wonderful fresh food for you to
enjoy as you stroll, as well as numerous Greek foodstuffs to take home.
The streets of Ermou, Eolou
and Stadiou offer large department
stores and numerous pan-European names with everything from shoes and clothing
to household wares. In many parts of the city prices are flexible, though
not in department stores and boutiques,-and haggling is expected at the
flea market. In tourist shops, you may get a discount for cash, and prices
are lower early and late in the season. Conversely, you may be charged a
little extra if you want to pay by credit card.
What to Buy
Copper and brass have been used for many household utensils for centuries
and skilled crafts-men still work in small workshops around the city. The
newly produced goods have a bright patina that mellows with use, and some
of the older pieces are exceptionally beautiful. Antiques stores in Monastiraki
have the best choice and these include urns for carrying water, samovars,
bowls and tureens. Ornate Ottoman tables on folding wooden bases are compact
enough to carry in hand luggage, as are serving ladles and goat bells.
Ceramics
The skills honed at Kerameikos
centuries ago are still much in evidence
on the streets of Athens. You can buy exquisite hand-thrown and painted
copies of ancient pieces for a price, and numerous examples of less expensive
factory produced items. Traditional shapes of urns, jugs and cups are decorated
with scenes taken from the lives of the ancients or of the Greek gods in
their domain on Mount Olympus.
Modern ceramic artists also thrive and there are many small galleries showcasing
hand-created pieces.
Statuary
If you want a little piece of ancient Greece,
then you'll certainly be able to find it. It will be a reproduction of course,
but still you can own your own copy of
Zeus, Poseidon
or Athena
herself. Plaques depicting ancient friezes, or masks to hang on walls are
also extremely popular, as are Mycenaean
helmets. If classical statuary is too ornate for your taste, you can also
find copies of the Mycenaean
statues found at the Goulandris
Museum. The
National Archaeological Museum also
offers a wide range of copies of its artefacts and each comes with a certificate
of authentication.
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Leatherware
Local craftsmen have always worked goat
and cow hides and the industry continues today. Footwear, bags and clothing
come in a range of styles, from rustic to bohemian.
Carpets and needlepoint
You can fine beautiful carpets, hand-knotted
ornate patterns in wool or silk which come with a hefty price tag. Hand-produced
Greek flokaki rugs were traditionally used in farmhouses across the Greek
world and are made from sheep wool. They are decorated with traditional
symbols such as deer, or Mycenaean
geometric designs. Needlepoint, crochet
and embroidery, once activities undertaken by every Greek woman, are now
dying arts, so any hand-crafted pieces will become collectors' items of
the future. Machine-produced pieces are readily available in the form
of tablecloths, napkins, cushions and handkerchiefs. You can try a traditional
embroidered hat complete with long silk tassel, now only worn during folkloric
spectacles.
Jewellery
When Schliemann
excavated the tombs of the Mycenaean
rulers he found their skulls decorated
with masks fashioned from pure gold. Since that time, Greece has been
famed for the worksmanship of this precious metal. You can still find
many high-class jewellery stores in Athens, producing excellent quality
items. Athenians still love to adorn themselves as they did in ancient
times with gold and precious stones imported from elsewhere. Prices are
very competitive, as gold is sold by weight, with a relatively small mark-up
for the craftsman's skill. Most popular items are traditional patterns
passed down since ancient times. The major museums also sell copies of
items displayed, which are quite appropriate souvenirs of your trip. For
those whose taste or budget isn't for precious metals and stones, there
is a whole range of jewellery available to them, featuring semi-precious
stones and street jewellery such as rings, earrings, toe rings and, though
they are not strictly jewellery, worry beads. The best feature beads of
comelian or amber with silver decoration and silk thread.
Icons and Art
An icon is a religious portrait, usually
of a saint or apostle. Icons lie at the heart of Byzantine or Orthodox
worship in both the Greek and Russian churches, and they form a focus
for prayer -the characteristic gold leaf used in their production symbolised
the glory of God. For centuries they were popular souvenirs of the grand
European Tour or religious pilgrimage. However, modem production methods,
including thin artificial canvas and gaudy synthetic colours, saw them
lose favour. In recent years there has been a rebirth in icon painting
using traditional methods, both for church renovations and for commercial
sale. Natural pigments and egg tempura (egg yolk and vinegar) binding
are painstakingly mixed and applied to a canvas bound over wood. The gold
leaf is then applied and the whole image is given a patina. Pre-1821 icons
will require an export permit. You'll find mass-produced icons in many
tourist shops, but for quality pieces visit a specialist store. Icons
are a very particular form of art, and if they are not to your taste there
is a whole range of art to choose from. Scenes of Athens and the classical
sites are extremely popular as mementos.
Edibles
Wonderful foods from the Greek countryside
include honey, olives, olive oil and nuts, such as almonds and hazelnuts.
All can be bought in pretty packaging for you to take home. For something
a little stronger try ouzo, the aniseed-flavoured aperitif, or Greek brandy,
which is slightly sweeter than French Cognac. Metaxa
is the most famous brand name.
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