Greece is situated between East and West, not only geographically, but also in everyday life. This tour aims to introduce participants to a lesser-known period in the long history of Athens, the Ottoman era, which extends between the mid-15^th century to the first decades of the 19^th century.

Although a small an insignificant city, when it became part of the vast Ottoman Empire in 1458, Athens never ceased to be a source of inspiration due to its glorious ancient past. The mosque that was incorporated in the classical Parthenon was considered to be one of the most beautiful places of worship in the Islamic world, while travelers constantly arrived from the West to marvel at and often loot the ancient ruins that were scattered around the city.

The oriental face of Athens awaits to be discovered and traced through extant landmarks in the city center, and its place in the general context of the Islamic world will be assessed during a visit at the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art.