"Walk the Long Walls" Research Project

By integrating and applying knowledge from various fields such as Archaeology, History, Information Technology, and Cartography, the "DIPYLON" NPO has been implementing the innovative research project titled "Walk the Long Walls" since 2023, which is funded -among others- by the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation. The Project aims is to create a bilingual (Greek/English), open source and accessible digital audiovisual application (audio tour) that will offer a historical virtual tour of selected archaeological and industrial sites along the Long Walls, which once connected Athens with Piraeus.

Using cutting-edge technologies (GIS, web mapping, interactive 3D, and augmented reality), selected visible and hidden remains of the ancient city, along with preserved industrial and other historical buildings, will be 3D represented, while each site will be accompanied by narration, information, and additional visual and cartographic materials. This application is intended for both residents and visitors to the area, as well as educators and students of all educational levels. Its primary goal is to provide local schools with an immersive digital tool that raises awareness of the historical past embedded in the modern city.

• Through the application, users will be able to explore 30 selected sites of archaeological and industrial interest along the Long Walls.

"The audiovisual application 'Walk the Long Walls', inspired by the Long Walls of ancient Athens, distills findings from archaeological, paleoenvironmental, architectural, and historical research to present them in an accessible and engaging way for both children and adults. It tells the story of the now-buried rivers crossing the Attic plain, the marshes once formed at their mouths, the walls and ancient roads that connected Athens and Piraeus in antiquity, which today survive only in fragments among and beneath modern buildings. It also highlights the industrial and manufacturing zone that developed between the two cities from the early 19th century, and the refugees from Asia Minor and Pontus who settled around it. Apart from the visitor, we hope that the application will also be used by local residents and educators in the schools of the four municipalities along the route (Piraeus, Moschato-Tavros, Kallithea, Athens) as a tool to approach the history of their area."

Maria Karagiannopoulou

Archaeologist

Research Team Member, DIPYLON

"Through a walking tour along the archaeological remains of the Long Walls and past iconic buildings and infrastructures from the city's industrial, commercial, and refugee history, the 'Walk the Long Walls' application seeks to highlight both the urban palimpsest of the broader Athens area and the processes through which neighborhoods and by extension, cities are born and develop. This is an innovative project by DIPYLON, aimed at the general public, that restores not only the image of the now largely invisible Long Walls of ancient Athens but also the historical significance of the seemingly neglected areas they cross. I am delighted to be part of the creative team behind this project!"

Vasko Dimou

Archaeologist

Research Team Member, DIPYLON