Omonia Square. An historic location. A magical place with a secret life of its own, the heart of Athens, it has been a fascinating literary center exerting a kind of poetic power over contemporary Greek writers. From the late nineteenth to the end of the twentieth century scores of novelists, poets and songwriters have frequented the haunts of Omonia and its surrounding district. Philippos Philippou takes a new look at the place. Accompanied by 123 black-and-white photographs by Stratos Kalafatis, the book explores the heart of the city of Athens, a heart that has undergone repeated alteration at the hands of architects, city planners, and municipal and political leaders.
Besides giving the essential historical background to the square, we are given information on its cafes, souvlaki joints, snack bars, cinemas, pharmacies, barbers, kiosks, subway station, police, night life, and the ethnic mix of its youth, its sounds, smells, colours and paradoxical delights.
Omonia 2000 is a study in decay and remembrance. It is also an elegy on childhood and adolescence, on the world of youthful hopes and dreams. It is a record and a memento in one.