During the ottoman occupation the already densely populated city-quarter was one of the eight major districts of Athens. After the liberation a lot of the former warriors of independence as well as people from other parts of Greece settled down. However, its reputation began to be stained, since the main square became the base of operations of outsiders and petty criminals, until they were finally wiped out in 1893. Gradually leather workshops and small factories opened in the area lining the main streets. Soon the area was established as a worker-class quarter. Even today you can see craftsmen at work.
In the last decades, however, the picturesque neighborhood has undergone a drastic transformation. Psirri has developed into an entertainment hub. Next to the traditional leather, shoemaker and craftsman workshops you can find theatres, art galleries, bars, restaurants, trendy cafés and traditional taverns.
Nevertheless, Psirri offers up to the present day a vivid image of old Athens.