(Photos) Athens Cathedral Scaffolding Free after Almost 40 Years

Thirty five years after the first scaffolding was erected to fix earthquake damage, the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral is completely scaffolding-free.

A 1981 earthquake caused damage, leading to almost four decades of construction, red tape, a second earthquake in 1999 which caused even more damage and years of wrangling between Church and government officials.

The Cathedral, known as the “Mitropoli” to worshipers and tourists alike, is a major city landmark and the scaffolding has been a contentious eyesore for decades.

Fascinating facts and photos from the illustrious history of the Athens Cathedral:

The Athens Metropolitan Cathedral was completed in May of 1862 and dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. (Photo from 1869)

Workers used marble from 72 demolished churches to build the Cathedral’s immense walls. (Photo from 1900)

Construction of the Cathedral began on Christmas Day, 1842 with the laying of the cornerstone by King Otto and Queen Amalia. (Photo: Installation of King George)

The Cathedral contains the tombs of two Greek Orthodox saints, killed by the Turks during the Ottoman occupation: Saint Philothei and Patriarch Gregory V.

Gregory V, Patriarch of Constantinople, was hanged and his body thrown into the Bosphorus in 1821, in retaliation for the Greek uprising on March 25. His body was rescued by Greek sailors and eventually enshrined in Athens.

Saint Philothei built a convent, was martyred in 1559, and her bones are still visible in a silver reliquary. She is honored for ransoming Greek women enslaved in Ottoman Empire's harems.

In the Square in front of the Cathedral stand two statues. The first is that of Saint Constantine XI the Ethnomartyr, the last Byzantine Emperor.

The second is a statue of Archbishop Damaskinos who was Archbishop of Athens during World War II.

On the inscription is a dedication to his efforts to save the Jews of Athens.

The Cathedral has experienced Royal Weddings (Wedding of Queen Anna Maria and Joan Carlos of Spain in 1962) and other major ceremonies.

Numerous demonstrations have also taken place. This year, protestors dressed as Greek Orthodox priests and kissed in front of the Cathedral, protesting the Church's anti-gay positions.

The scaffolding was an eyesore on the landmark for almost four decades.

This week, the final scaffolding was taken down...

Restoring the church to its former glory as an important part of the city skyline. (Photo: Nick Politakis via Instagram)

See video from the Royal Wedding of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia at the Athens Cathedral in 1962. Sophia is the sister of Greece’s then-King Constantine and a member of the now-deposed Greek Royal Family.