Wandering the modern city triggers memory and oblivion. New buildings slowly erase the past. The past, however, isĀ trying to resist through the ruins of the city. Memory traces as well as people recollections, determine the uniquenessof the place and constructtheidentity of its inhabitants. The city is the locus of the experience of its residents.
The city itself is the collective memory of the people. The memory is connected with eventsandplaces, consequentlythe city is the locus of collective memory.(Aldo Rossi)
The ruins of the city consist its past and history. Monuments andmodern ruins except for the special atmosphere, they created in urban places, also contain the experiences of theinhabitants, as they hoardhistorical events myths social events and personal experiences through time.
In this paper, an attempt is made to record the ruins at the input paths of the city of Piraeus and the memory of the people on them, through the collection of visual and imaginary components. The record includes notes up on routes, mapping and photographic material. Those recorded as memories relate to personal testimonies, oriented more towards the experiences of places rather than historical data.
Ruins are defined as the spaces that are not used at the specified time, the damaged buildings and remnants of any architectural construction.
The aim is to present, to the extent that is possible, a time imprinting of the city with axes materials and mnemonics fragments of the past. For recording have been selected three entrances to the city, until the port and the front of the port, which is an input image of Piraeus from the sea. These routes were chosen because they are the most familiar image of Piraeus not only for residents but also for visitors. These routs signify for the residents of Piraeus the "return", the "nostalgia", the "home" and for passing travelers the "outing" and the "journey".