• 4 medium eggplants
• olive oil for frying
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 10 oz ground beef or lamb
• 1 Tbs. tomato purée
• 3 lg. tomatoes, peeled & diced
• 1 bunch fine-chopped parsley
• 2 Tbs. breadcrumbs
• 1.5 c. kefalotíri cheese, grated
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 2 c. milk
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt & fresh-ground pepper

Preparation:

Wash the eggplants and remove the base of the stalks. Heat olive oil in a pan and brown the eggplants on all sides over a high heat. Allow to cool, and cut off one third lengthways.

Scoop out the flesh from the remainder with a spoon, leaving a 3/8-inch (1 cm) thick edge, finely chop the flesh and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375º. For the filling, heat some olive oil and fry the onions and tomato purée, and diced tomatoes and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, bread crumbs, and half the cheese.

Place eggplant halves on a greased baking sheet, and fill with the ground beef mixture. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Stir in the milk and allow to thicken slowly.

Simmer for about 5 minutes, and season with lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to cool, and stir in the egg and the remaining cheese.

Pour over the filled eggplants and bake in preheated over for about 50 min. Serve hot, with freshly baked white bread.
 

KOMBOLÓI - Greek Worry Beads

The KOMBOLÓI, or string of beads, are a familiar sight in the hands of many Greek men. A tradition originally inherited from the Orient, the Turks introduced kombolói to Greece via India and Persia. Although Muslims commonly run their fingers through the beads methodically as a way of counting prayers, they were inherited by Greeks originally as a plaything. They are always designed with an uneven number of beads. The word kombolói incorporated the word kómbos, meaning "knot", and there is a fascination and magic derived from these "knots" running through your fingers. During the course of a man's life, his kombolói becomes a sort of talisman and there are old men who fall into a deep depression if they lose their personal kombolói - their lifelong companion. More than just a means of passing time, one is tempted to say that the kombolói reflects a way of life. There is the sound of the beads clicking together, the feel of the smooth beads between your fingers, the hours that slip away while playing with the beads, inducing an almost trance-like state. And one very basic lesson to be learned from playing with the kombolói beads is that is that the circular string of beads symbolizes the belief that everything returns, nothing really ends; in other words, the belief in infinity.

GreekShops carries a wide array of kombolói in all colors and sizes!
Here are some of our most popular styles!
 

(Continued from May's Issue)

• (1) KERAMEIKOS: The official cemetery of ancient Athens from the 11th century BC until the 2nd century AD. The region received its name from the existence in the vicinity of many pottery or ceramic workshops. The walls of ancient Athens: One can still see the "lithologimata", three consecutive rows of stones that date from the classical times.
  Kerameikos Gates:Holy Gate: Dipylon: The Kerameikos Gates are the name of the official entrances to ancient Athens at this point. These gates divided the area into the inner and outer Kerameikos, where the tombs were placed...
  Street of the Kerameikos: Just outside the Dipylon gate began the imposing Street of the Kerameikos, the so-called "Road to the Academy" that led to the most beautiful of the...
  Kerameikos Museum: It holds a large and varied collection of burial vessels that date from the 11th century BC (Sub-Mycenaean period) until the 2nd century AD (Roman era), and...

• (2) THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE: The Beth Shalom Synagogue was built in 1935. The Romaniote Synagogue, exactly facing the former, was built in 1904 and is still in function but only...

• (3) MUSEUM OF TRADITIONAL POTTERY: An interesting Museum displaying modern Greek ceramics, with representative pieces of work made in workshops from all over Greece, and a large collection of vessels. It is housed in a 19th century neoclassical building.

• (4) BENAKI MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART: Antonis Benakis lived in Alexandria and was one of the first collectors of Islamic works of art. His collection includes 10,000 pieces covering 13 centuries of artistic creation, and is considered one of the best of its kind in the world. The exhibits are...

• (5) CHURCH OF AGHIOI ASOMATOI: A four-columned cross-in-square church with an Athenian-style dome (second half of the 11th century). Restoration work in 1955-60 altered the original Byzantine style.

• (6) ABYSSINIA SQUARE: Abissinia was once a name for Ethiopia, so probably this square was named after the few Ethiopians who once lived here. It is also known as...

• (7) MONASTIRAKI - PANTANASSA: Built in the 15th century as a basilica, probably incorporating the ruins of an older church. Once the main church of a women's monastery, and a...

• (8) TZISDARAKI MOSQUE: Built in 1759 by Tzisdarakis, then Voevod of Athens, who removed the 17th column from the Olympieion, and turned it into lime to build the mosque. After this...

• (9) HADRIAN'S LIBRARY: A rectangular building (122 x 82m) built in 132 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Seen from above, it formed a peristyle courtyard (that is with a colonnade), with special rooms for keeping papyri and books, lecture halls, etc. The impressive...

• (10) ROMAN AGORA: The natural extension of the ancient Greek Agora, built in the second half of the 1st century BC, with donations from Julius Caesar and Augustus. The Agora building (111 x 98 m.) had a large rectangular atrium surrounded by stoas, shops, and storerooms...

• (11) FETHIYE DJAMI - MOSQUE OF THE CONQUEROR: Built in the 16th century, on the ruins of an early Christian basilica, within which a small mihrab had been formed for the visit of Mehmet II the Conquer in 1458. That is how the present building obtained its name. After the...

• (12) CLOCK OF ANDRONICUS CYRRISTOS or TOWER OF THE WINDS: An intriguing structure that had a hydraulic mechanism. This 1st century BC octagonal tower was built by Andronicus, an astronomer from the Syrian city of Cyrros, a city founded by...

• (13) MEDRESE: Built in 1721 as an Islamic religious school. After liberation from Ottoman rule, it served as a prison. Only the entrance remains...

• (14) GREEK FOLK MUSIC MUSEUM: The former residence of the professor of the literature, and Minister in King Otho's government, Georgios Lassanis, now displays a collection of 1,200 Greek...

• (15) THE HAMAM OF ABIT EFFENDI: The impressive Athens Hamam (Baths) on Kyrristou St, a rare example of its kind in Greece, has been restored to its original form. It dates from...

• (16) BENIZELOS HOUSE: The oldest surviving mansion in Athens (17th - 18th century), once owned by the Benizelos - Palaiologos family, second in rank among the 12 leading families...

• (17) CHURCH'S TOWER: A building complex on the corner of Hill and Epiharmou Streets that dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, widely known as "Church's Tower"...

TRIPODON ST ELLINIKI ETAIRIA LYSICRATES' MONUMENT ACROPOLIS STATION (M)

To read about these 4 locations, please refer to our March newsletter featuring Heritage Walk #1

Excerpt from: "Heritage Walks in Athens" by the Municipality of Athens Cultural Organization,
and by the Elliniki Etairia Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and the Cultural Heritage

Click here to read the full article on additional page

Next Month's Article: Heritage Walk #5: MEDIEVAL AND CLASSICAL ATHENS

Traveling to Greece? Discover everything you always wanted to know about ancient Athens in these recommended products:
Athens, The Dawn of Democracy (PBS Home Video)	Map of Athens (Attica Piraeus Greece)	Athens and Acropolis Travel Guide	City Map of Athens & Piraeus Deluxe Edition	Athens - History, Momuments, Museums (English)

  Featured Destination: Kasos

GEOGRAPHY: Very close to the southwest coast of Karpathos and 27 nautical miles from Crete, Kasos is the southernmost island of the Dodecanese. 66 sq. km. in area, it has 50 km. of coastline, a population of 1,184 and is 220 nautical miles from Piraeus. There are car and passenger ferries from Piraeus twice a week, as well as the rest of the Dodecanese and Crete. The boat on the Piraeus - Kavala route to the outlying islands connects it with Melos, Pholegandros, Anaphi, Santorini, Leros, Leipsoi, the northeast Aegean islands and Kavala. A local service operates among the Dodecanese and there are flights, via Rhodes, to Athens. A predominantly mountainous island (highest peak Prionas, 600 m. a.s.l.), the coast has steep cliffs with very few stretches of sand and there is minimal touristic development. The island is ideal for those seeking peace and quiet, close to nature.

HISTORY: Phoenicians are mentioned as the island's first inhabitants and its history has always been linked with that of neighboring Karpathos . In historical times its fate differed little from that of the rest of the Dodecanese and its capital was Polion. From the end of the 13th century it belonged to the Knights of St. John until about the middle of the 16th century when it was subjugated by the Turks. An island with a great tradition in seafaring, its boats played their part in the 1821 Struggle for Independence. In May 1824 Kasos suffered the worst catastrophe in its history when it was set on fire by the combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet. There was only a handful of survivors. Kasos became part of the Greek state in 1948.

	SIGHTS and MONUMENTS: The island's capital, Phry ( Orphys ), is built at the far end of the gulf of Bouka. Several old captain's houses set on the hillside are still preserved. In the local museum there is a small archaeological and folk art collection. 1 km. southwest of Phry, at Aghia Marina, there are several churches, as well as the Ellinokamara.	Road Map of Karpathos and Kassos
	On the other shore of the gulf, east of Phry, is Emboreios with its three-aisled church of the Virgin. 3 km. southeast of here is the old capital of Kasos, Polion, where there are remains of a fortress and church of the Holy Trinity. There are notable churches at Panaghia (1 km. east of Phry), dedicated to the Virgin and housing the coffin of Hosia Kassiani and another of the Sts. Anargyroi. At Chadies (12 km. southwest) is the monastery of St. George and at Apokrani that of St. Mamas. Although the steep coast of Kasos is not really suitable for swimming it offers good fishing.

 June 2008 Greek Orthodox Calendar

Icons depicting the celebrated Saint, make great gifts for namedays, as do our custom-made Greek name mugs.
Shop among our great collection of gift ideas at our store. We also have a great selection of greeting cards
for birthdays, holidays, namedays and special occasions.

Gold and Silver Icons, and Hand-painted Iconsons	Greek Name Mug Cups	Greeting Cards
Want to know more about Orthodox Saints? Complete biographies of Orthodox Saints are now available.

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