Vintage Cinemas in Athens

Vintage Cinemas in Athens

The Athenians saw for the first time cinema in 1897. The screening of this animation caused lively reactions and the new spectacle became a permanent topic of discussion and cause of many publications.

The first areas in which presented these cinematic spectacles were the Athenian squares. These were the portable cinemas, set up in the squares only during the summer months and usually limited screenings because they were moving all around Greece.

In the summer of 1907, 30 cinemas prepared to set up in various districts of Athens. 1910 was an important year for the cinemas of the capital. The strong demand pushed entrepreneurs to make major investments in this new art form and in 1913, the businessman E. Mafrodimakis built the first specially built complex for movie goers.

 

On the eve of the Second World War, 280 cinemas were operating in Greece. A  1/3 of them were located in Athens. More specifically, Athens had 9 premiere cinemas, 25 secondary displays, and 65 opened air venues.By the end of the German occupation, an unprecedented phenomenon of mass attendance at cinemas of the capital was noted. By 1966, Athens alone had 50 premiere cinemas showing  in one week at least 12 new films.