What are these sanctuaries for? Taxi driver told us someone drove of at these locations

29 comments
  1. Locations where a car driver died in an accident whose family added the landmark. Usually the dead’s picture, name saint are inside along with other things.

  2. dedicated to people who have died in car accidents at this very spot.

    Some nights they say the dead’s soul comes to light the little candle inside.

    (Actually, no I made the second sentence up, I am sorry — but that would be really cool, no?)

  3. These sanctuaries actually are being put there because someone died at the place for whatever reason.
    Usually car accidents nowadays.
    Their “usage” is to “cleanse” the spot and no one dies there again.

  4. Bro taxi driver was right, they are always right. Never question their words, neither their prices. You pay not only for the drive, but for the education too.

  5. When I was a kid and we were driving from the city to the village (3-4h drive), spotting and counting these little sanctuaries was the game I would play with the parent not driving. Slightly appalled when I found out later in life that we were actually counting casualties…

  6. Pre-internet technique for Greek Roadwork Safety Agency(*) to crowdsource finding spots for road infrastructure improvements. As is usual in Greece for most crowdsourced operations, almost entirely run by black-wearing middle aged and elderly religious mothers. The system has remained in operation well into the internet era due to funding difficulties and general apathy.

    (*) Not a real agency.

  7. They’re for people that died there, or survived a big car accident. Their family/friends or their selves ( if they survive) put em there. It’s s good indicator tbh when driving, to take care or the road.

  8. They’re shrines dedicated to someone who has died in this spot unexpectedly. Usually from car accidents (pedestrian or driver), but they are also put there if a pedestrian has had an accident and died there with no car involved (ex. We have a similar shrine in a very desolate street where I live which an old man had a heart attack in the middle of the street and died there).

  9. ppl will tell you it is for a loved one that died there or that ppl build them to thank God for surviving a accident on that location.

    But the truth is they are part of the anti-vampire shield to protect the travellers.

    Regardless they are a reminder that at this location you need to cautious !

  10. Me and my family always play a game where we count them as we travel through Greece, first one that spots it gets the point. The number is astonishing sometimes, when you get like 5 of them in a row.

  11. OP, these are called Wayside Shrines in English, and are often placed on the site where someone died in an accident, or there may be another purpose. Greece isn’t the only country you’ll find them; you’ll also see them in some other Orthodox & Catholic countries like Romania or Austria or parts of Germany. You also see them in the northeast US.

  12. Memorials for dead people, ayep. 99% of the time it’s car accidents, though sometimes it’s just regular accidents.

  13. That does not necesserily mean there was a car accident. Eg we had one just outside our school in a remote village. It can also be for worship in case there is no church nearby

  14. wow, im not even greek but i recognized what they are and i had no idea that in greece people do that same in my country (mexico) when someone dies there

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