Alexandros Maragos

View Original

Eerie Stillness: Portrait of Athens Downtown on Lockdown (Photography)

Alexandros Maragos

Panepistimiou Street, a major street in the center of the city usually filled with cars, is seen empty in Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020

Athens is on pause. An eerie silence has descended in the city center. The street lights are lit, but no-one needs their guidance. Buses departing empty. Major avenues and monuments typically filled with cars and tourists, are completely vacant except for a few pedestrians. Closures, travel restrictions, and self-isolation measures have cleared public squares and roads. Is this our new cityscape?

Here are 15 scenes that depict the impact of the coronavirus lockdown across Athens, shot on April 12, 2020.

BIG PICTURES: ATHENS ON LOCKDOWN

Vasilissis Amalias Avenue is seen empty in Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020. Background: Lycabettus Hill.

Filellinon Street, a small street in length that begins at Syntagma Square and ends at Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, is seen empty in Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020

Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, a major avenue in the center of Athens, Greece, is seen totally empty on April 12, 2020. Monument: Hadrian's Gate.

Syntagma Square, Athens’s central square known for being jam-packed with commuters and tourists, is seen nearly vacant on April 12, 2020

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier war memorial in front of the Greek Parliament, usually filled with tourists, is seen empty in Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020

Typically bustling with commuters, Syntagma Metro Station, the busiest station of the Athens Metro, looks abandoned due to the pandemic on April 12, 2020

Not a single person could be found in the underground passages of Syntagma Metro Station in the heart of Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020

With flights being canceled around the world, Bus Route X95 from Syntagma Square to Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” is a ghost ship.

Not a soul at Syntagma Tram Terminal in the center of Athens, Greece, on April 12, 2020

A musician holding his guitar crosses an empty street in the center of Athens, Greece on April 12, 2020

Looking southest at Akadimias Street, a major street in the center of Athens, Greece. Only one or two people can be seen. April 12, 2020

Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, a major avenue in the east side of Athens, Greece is seen almost empty on April 12, 2020

A police car at Mesogeion Avenue enforces the lockdown in Athens, Greece on April 12, 2020

Photography: Alexandros Maragos / View on Instagram: @alexmaragos