Museums in Greece constitute a major reference point for the
Greek identity where visitors have a total view of the birth and the flourishing of the ancient
Greek art, the main source of inspiration for the western world, the beautiful Byzantine architecture and the folklore tradition in the 18th century spanning 6,000 years of civilization.
The museums of the Greek State host countless exhibits which span over thousands of years of human civilization, achievements and conquests. The 300 national and private museums that exist in the entire country keep a huge treasure of cultural wealth, from the Neolithic to modern times. The archeological, Byzantine and Historical museums are those which highlight the aspects of ancient and modern Greece.
The most important museums in Greece are located close to the excavated sites, discovering the traces of civilizations that once prospered in and around the area.
Of major interest are the archeological museums of Delphi, Ancient Olympia, Mycenae and the Acropolis Museum. Equally important are the hidden treasures that are kept in the lesser known museums, like the ones in the Cycladic islands.
Most of the museums in Greece are devoted to the Byzantine art owing a bewitching collection of exquisite marble architecture, mosaics and rare manuscripts. One of the most attractive exhibits from that era can be traced in Athens and Thessaloniki.
The Folklore museums of Greece focus on the traditional works of art that local artists made through the ages. These include traditional uniforms, jewels, agricultural tools, furniture and great paintings. One of the museums that lead by example is the Folklore Museum of Nafplion as well as Benaki Museum in the centre of Athens. Equally interesting folklore museums can be found in many islands and villages around the country.
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens was founded in
1889 and is one of the most important Archaeological museums
in the world as it houses the historical past of one of the
greatest civilisations in the world .
In the museum there
are findings from all the places of ancient
Greece and the
Greek world, the exhibits include, statues, vases,
jewellery, sculpture, weapons, religious items from the
Neolithic times, early Cycladic civilisation, the Minoan
civilisation, the classical and Hellenistic period and the
roman period.
Among the most significant items of the museum
is the golden mask of Agamemnon and other treasures from
Mycenae, the statue of Poseidon of Artemision, the statue of
Zeus with thunder from Dodona, the lekithus of Myrrinae, the
bronze statue of the riding boy , the Marathon
boy, the statues of Asclepius, Demeter and Persephone,
a wonderful bronze statue of the young man from Antikythira,
the statue of Aphrodite and Pan, the King Nestor's cup and
the mechanism of Antikythira that it was probably used for
astronomical observations.
In the museum there are also a
huge collection of vases from the geometric period, a
collection of frescoes and other items from the findings in
Santorini (Thira) and a huge library. The Museum is located
in Patission street next to the Athens Polytechnic school.
The new museum of the Acropolis is under the
south slope of Acropolis in Dionyssiou Areopagitou street.
The metro station Acropolis takes you at the gate of the
museum. Contains mainly pediment sculpture, reliefs and statues
found on the rock of the Acropolis, which formed part of the
decoration of its buildings or were dedicated to the goddess
Athena. Among the latter is the unique collection in the
world of statues of female figures of the archaic era known
as the "Korai" with the well known archaic smile, such as
the Kore of Lyons, the Kore of Naxos, the Kore of Chios, the
Peploforos Kore, the Kore of Antinor, the Kore of Euthidikos,
etc. From the remaining votive offering sculptures, those of
outstanding interest are the Moschoforos (man carrying a
calf across his shoulders), Rampin's horseman, a hunting
dog, the Boy by Kritias, the head of the blonde youth, etc.
There are also sphinxes, four-horse chariots and many votive
reliefs such as that of Lenormant, Athena in Meditation,
etc.
The museum use to be the
old Parliament of Greece during the rein of King Otto, the first
king of Greece after the war of independence (many Greeks refer to
it as Palea Vouli (old parliament) . The building became the
National historical museum of modern Greece in 1962. Among its
exhibits are items from the modern Greek history from the revolution
of 1821 until the second world war. In the museum the visitor will
see uniforms and weapons of the Greek revolution as well as uniforms
and weapons from the Greek army during the Balkan wars and the 2
world wars. Portraits of the Greek leaders of the revolution, the
dresses of King Otto and Amalia and many other items from the
modern
history of Greece. The museum is at Stadiou street 13 a short
walk from Syntagma square. Outside of the museum is the bronze
statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis the Great general of the Greek
revolution in 1821.
The Athens city Museum is about the
modern history of Athens from the time that Athens became the
Capital of Greece. It has many paintings, individual collections and
artefacts from the the history, the culture and the way of life of
the modern city of Athens from the early 19th century to the middle
20th century , is located at 7 Paparigopoulou St.
