Riddles for Athens (in Greek)

Riddles for Athens (in Greek)

Tonia Kafetzaki
Illustration: Panagiotis Pantazis
Athens 2021, 168 p., 53 illustrations
ISBN 978-960-244-216-6
€ 22,50

The book Riddles for Athens by Tonia Kafetzaki, with illustrations by Panagiotis Pantazis, using the riddles, attempts to reveal the successive levels of architecture, town planning and archaeological development in Athens to teenagers, though not only, also serving as a Guide to the historical centre of the city.

Nine riddles reveal ostraca, small pieces of clay with a letter that gradually form a sentence. The protagonists, four classmates and friends, explore the city centre and draw information from notes, guides and the internet in order to solve the riddles, find the ostraca in their proper order and form the sentence. Will they succeed? What is the secret that will be revealed to them?

The author Dr Tonia Kafetzaki, a historian and educator, drawing upon the significant repository of knowledge about Athens from her previous research, suggests paths for children and adults throughout the historical centre of Athens.

In parallel, Panagiotis Pantazis, architect and illustrator, depicts in monochrome designs the architectural features of monumental sites in Athens and the main figures in the book set against the city's everyday life.