"Our attraction to old objects and the areas that serve as nostalgia markets were the main reason I decided to get involved with Monastiraki -the best known of all such markets in Greece- and to research its history.

"Monastiraki and its Yousouroum or Flea Market -the `common ground` of the Greek capital... became the object of an investigation into its streets, its people and its merchandise.

"As a first phase, the results of this research provided the script for a historical documentary entitled "Ι" Monastiraki which was produced by the Ministry of Culture and filmed by the director Yannis Kokkolis.

"Then my love for this area, which had grown stronger through this initial contact, inspired me to persist in my research. The result was the further development of the subject of the documentary into a book.

"Monastiraki attempts to do two things within the limits of a short historical retrospective: to examine the locality that has always been at the centre of the economic life of Athens, and to project its atmosphere through photograph".

Liza Micheli