Location: Kerameikos
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What to do and see in Kerameikos, Attica: The Best Museums
Once known for smog, traffic and tacky architecture, Athens is a city reformed thanks to fortunes brought by the 2004 Summer Olympics. Spotless parks and streets, an ultra-modern subway, new freeways, an accessible airport and all signs in perfect English make the city easily negotiable. Meriting more than a stopover en route to the islands, sophisticated Athens sites include many pillars of Western history, from the Acropolis to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as treasures in the National Archaeological Museum.
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1. Archaeological Museum Of Kerameikos
2. Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
The Benaki Museum of Islamic Art is situated in a Neo-Classical building complex in the Kerameikos neighbourhood. It is the only museum of its kind in Greece, featuring a unique collection of world-renowned artifacts, one of the top-ten collections worldwide. The evolution of Islamic civilisation from the first appearance of Islam up to the Ottoman period and the corresponding development of Islamic art up to the 19th century are demonstrated by more than 8,000 works of art, including ceramics, gold, metalwork, textiles and glass, smaller groupings of bone objects, inscribed funerary steles and weaponry, as well as the marble-faced interior of a reception room from a 17th-century Cairo mansion. During the preservation works of the building, a section of the ancient city wall of Athens was uncovered at the basement level; it is now accessible to visitors. More information at http://bit.ly/2YPAtwg
Reviewed By permia
Covering centuries across numerous countries it’s a superlative selection of eclectic treasures. Set in an imposing Neo-Classical house that provides a fine backdrop to the displays. Ceramics, tiles and metal works are exquisite. Golden jewellery often inlaid with precious gemstones is attractively well represented. Wood carving, on doors and panels is gorgeous with decorative flourishes. Glass vessels are beautiful. An elegant Egyptian mansion reception room reflects the lives lived by the higher echelons during the Ottoman Empire. It has an inlaid marble floor and comes from the 17th century. Swords and other weapons feature in the exhibits. An array of swords and daggers have inlaid golden inscriptions of Koran phrases. A marvellous pair of Turkish conical helmets are complimented with a great suit of chain mail.
3. Municipal Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 38 reviews
The Municipal Gallery of Athens is the principal public museum in Greece’s capital city. It houses a diverse collection of nearly 3,000 works from leading 19th and 20th Century artists.
Reviewed By permia
Striking works by Theofrastos Triantafyllidis were absorbing to admire, including Easter Procession from around 1939 and Last Rehearsal. Set in an impressive former factory that was designed by the famous Danish architect Christian Hansen, it has been the gallery’s new home since 2010. A child walking in an expansive landscape by the sea is the subject of Periklis Lytras's Returning. By contrast are the swirling ghostly figures in Melancholic Outbreak by Celeste Polychroniadi. Another by the same artist is Young Lady. Yorgos Bouzianis was a renowned expressionist who represented Greece at the 1950 Venice Biennale. We saw two of his creations here - Woman in the Mirror and Two Women. The Lady with a White Glove by Mimis Vitsoris is an elegant portrait. Daughter in the Window by Aglaia Papa and The Model and His Reflection created by Periklis Vyzantios are thought provoking.
4. Exile Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By permia
On our early morning walk we happened across this museum that was unknown to us. Being closed, we resolved to return later and were rewarded with an account of terrifying events in Greece’s past. One of the curator said her father was imprisoned on Makronissos for 3 years during the latter half of the 1940s, so she gave heartfelt testimony to some of the terrible occurrences. From the ruins of World War II more horror was in store for Greece, with a civil war raging until 1949. It was during this that so many from the Communist side were imprisoned on Makronissos. They suffered deprivations of all kinds, torture and massacre. It was only in 1974 after the fall of the Military Junta that Makronissos was finally closed as a prison.
