The National Archaeological Museum ( el, Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο) in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of Greek Antiquity artifacts worldwide. It is situated in the

Exarcheia Exarcheia ( ) is a community in central Athens, Greece close to the historical building of the National Technical University of Athens. Exarcheia took its name from a 19th century businessman named Exarchos (Greek: Έξαρχος) who opened a larg ...

area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the

Patission Street Patission Street ( el, Οδός Πατησίων) is one of the major streets in central Athens, Greece. Though it is known as Patission, its name for its stretch between Panepistimiou Street and Amerikis Square, was changed to 28 October Street, ...

adjacent to the historical building of the

Athens Polytechnic university The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; el, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest higher education institution ...

History

The first national archaeological museum in Greece was established by the governor of Greece Ioannis Kapodistrias in Aigina in 1829. Subsequently, the archaeological collection was relocated to a number of exhibition places until 1858, when an international architectural competition was announced for the location and the architectural design of the new museum.The National Archaeological Museum (2000) Euangelia Kypraiou Archaeological Receipts Fund Direction of Publications, Athens Greece The current location was proposed and the construction of the museum's building began in 1866 and was completed in 1889 using funds from the Greek Government, the Greek Archaeological Society and the society of Mycenae. Major benefactors were Eleni Tositsa who donated the land for the building of the museum, and Demetrios and Nikolaos Vernardakis from Saint Petersburg who donated a large amount for the completion of the museum. The initial name for the museum was ''The Central Museum''. It was renamed to its current name in 1881 by

Prime Minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic ( el, Πρωθυπουργός της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας, Prothypourgós tis Ellinikís Dimokratías), colloquially referred to as the prime minister of Greece ( el, Πρωθυ� ...

Charilaos Trikoupis. In 1887 the important archaeologist

Valerios Stais Valerios Stais ( el, Βαλέριος Στάης; b. Kythira 1857 – d. Athens 1923) was a Greek archaeologist. He initially studied medicine but later switched to archaeology obtaining his Doctorate from the University of Halle (Saale) in 1885 ...

became the museum's curator. During World War II the museum was closed and the antiquities were sealed in special protective boxes and buried, in order to avoid their destruction and looting. In 1945 exhibits were again displayed under the direction of

Christos Karouzos Christos Karouzos (Greek: Χρήστος Καρούζος; Amfissa, 14 March 1900 – Athens, 30 March 1967) was a Greek archaeologist and academic with significant contributions to Greek archaeology. He was director of the National Archaeological ...

and Semni Karouzou. The south wing of the museum houses the

Epigraphic Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

Museum with the richest collection of inscriptions in the world. The inscriptions museum expanded between 1953 and 1960 with the architectural designs of

Patroklos Karantinos Patroklos Karantinos ( el, Πάτροκλος Καραντινός; 10 April 1903 – 4 December 1976) was a Greek architect of early modernism in Greece. He was born in Constantinople and died in Athens. Karantinos studied architecture in Athe ...

The building

The museum has an imposing neo-classical design which was very popular in Europe at the time and is in accordance with the classical style artifacts that it houses. The initial plan was conceived by the architect Ludwig Lange and it was later modified by

Panagis Kalkos Panagis Kalkos ( el, Παναγής Κάλκος, 1818–1875) was one of the first Greek architects of the modern Greek state. Educated in Munich, he is a representative of a strict neoclassic style in architecture. He built some of the most char ...

who was the main architect,

Armodios Vlachos Armodios "Aris" C. Vovos (Greek: Αρμόδιος "Άρης" Βωβός; born 21 October 1964) is a Greek businessman. The family business Babis Vovos Constructions filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015. Vovos is a rally driver and was president ...

and Ernst Ziller. At the front of the museum there is a large neo-classic design garden which is decorated with sculptures.

Expansions and renovations

The building has undergone many expansions. Most important were the construction of a new east wing in the early 20th century based on the plans of

Anastasios Metaxas Anastasios Metaxas ( el, Αναστάσιος Μεταξάς; 27 February 1862 – 28 January 1937) was a Greek architect and shooter. Biography Metaxas was the royal architect of George I of Greece and is best known for being the architect cho ...

and the construction of a two-storeyed building, designed by

George Nomikos George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

, during 1932–1939. These expansions were necessary to accommodate the rapidly growing collection of artifacts. The most recent refurbishment of the museum took more than 1.5 years to complete, during which the museum remained completely closed. It reopened in July 2004, in time for the Athens Olympics and it included an aesthetic and technical upgrade of the building, installation of a modern air-conditioning system, reorganisation of the museum's collection and repair of the damage caused by the 1999 earthquake. The Minoan frescoes rooms opened to the public in 2005. In May 2008 the Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis inaugurated the much anticipated collection of Egyptian antiquities and the collection of Eleni and Antonis Stathatos. Today, there is a renewed discussion regarding the need to further expand the museum to adjacent areas. A new plan has been made for a subterranean expansion at the front of the museum.

Collections

The museum's collections are organised in sections:

Prehistoric collection

The prehistoric collection displays objects from the Neolithic era (6800–3000 BC), Early and Mid- Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC and 2000 to 1700 BC respectively), objects classified as Cycladic and Mycenaean art.

Neolithic era and early and mid-Bronze Age collection

There are ceramic finds from various important Neolithic sites such as Dimini and

Sesclo Sesklo ( el, Σέσκλο; rup, Seshklu) is a village in Greece that is located near Volos, a city located within the municipality of Aisonia. The municipality is located within the regional unit of Magnesia that is located within the admini ...

from middle Helladic ceramics from Boeotia, Attica and Phthiotis. Some objects from

Heinrich Schliemann Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann (; 6 January 1822 – 26 December 1890) was a German businessman and pioneer in the field of archaeology. He was an advocate of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeologi ...

excavations in Troy are also on display. Key highlights of the collections include: File:Gold treasure from Poliochni NAMA.jpg, Gold treasure from Polichni File:Clay vase with polychrome decoration, Dimini, Magnesia, Late or Final Neolithic (5300-3300 BC).jpg, Clay vase with polychrome decoration File:Larger terracotta Thinker Neolithic 5894 080709.jpg, Larger terracotta figurine "The Thinker", Neolithic Period, 4500-3300 BC,

Karditsa Karditsa ( el, Καρδίτσα ) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly. Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the ...

, Thessaly

Cycladic art collection

Cycladic collection features the famous marble figurines from the Aegean islands of

Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island are ...

and Keros including the ''Lutist''. These mysterious human representations, which resemble modern art and inspired many artists such as

Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi- abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced ...

, came from the 3rd millennium BC old cemeteries of Aegean islands along with bronze tools and containers. File:Art des Cyclades (musée national d'archéologie, Athènes) (30146370354).jpg, Harpist figurine from Keros File:Cycladic frying pan, boat, fish, 2800-2300 BC, NAMA, 4974, 191437.jpg, Cycladic frying pan from Syros File:Flying fish from Phylakopi, Wall painting, 16th or 17th century BC, NAMA 5844, 190952.jpg, Flying-fish wall painting fragment from Phylakopi Melos

Mycenean art collection

Mycenean civilization is represented by stone, bronze and ceramic pots, figurines, ivory, glass and faience objects, golden seals and rings from the vaulted tombs in Mycenae and other locations in the Peloponnese ( Tiryns and

Dendra Dendra ( el, Δενδρά) is a prehistoric archaeological site situated outside the village with the same name belonging to the municipality of Midea in the Argolid, Greece. The site has a history stretching back at least to the early Bronze A ...

in Argolis,

Pylos Pylos (, ; el, Πύλος), historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is th ...

in Messinia and Vaphio in Lakonia). Of great interest are the two golden cups from Vafeio showing a scene of the capture of a bull.

Heinrich Schliemann finds

Mycenean collection includes also the magnificent 19th-century finds of

in Mycenae from the

Grave Circle A Grave Circle A is a 16th-century BC royal cemetery situated to the south of the Lion Gate, the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in southern Greece. This burial complex was initially constructed outside the walls of Mycenae and ...

and the earlier Grave Circle B. Most notable are the golden funerary masks which covered the faces of deceased Mycenean nobles. Among them, the most famous is the one that was named erroneously as the mask of Agamemnon. There are also finds from the citadel of Mycenae including relief stelae, golden containers, glass, alabaster and amber tools and jewels. Other features include an ivory carving of two goddesses with a child, a painted limestone head of a goddess and the famous warrior's vase dating from the 12th century.

Egyptian art collection

The

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

collection dates back to the last twenty years of the 19th century. Notable is the donation of the Egyptian government which in 1893 offered nine mummies of the era of the Pharaohs from

Bab el-Gasus Bab el-Gasus ( arz, باب الجسس, bāb el-gasus, lit=Gate of the Priests piesp. 17: "Daressy’s moniker ‘Tomb of the Priests’ likely finds its origins in the local traditions of Sheikh abd el Gurnah. Indeed, this phrase could be tran ...

. However, the Egyptian collection is mainly by two donors,

Ioannis Dimitriou 250pxIoannis Dimitriou ( el, Ιωάννης Δημητρίου, 1826–''c.'' 1900) was a cotton and industrial merchant that worked in Egypt and was a major donator of ancient Egyptian artifacts which he gave to the National Archaeological Museu ...

(in 1880) and of Alexandros Rostovic (in 1904). In total the collection includes more than 6000 artefacts, 1100 of which are available presently for the public. The collection is considered to be one of the best collections of Egyptian art in the world. The exhibition features rare statues, tools, jewels, mummies, a wooden body tag for a mummy, a stunning bronze statue of a princess, intact bird eggs and a 3000-year-old loaf of bread with a bite-sized chunk missing. The exhibition centrepiece is a bronze statue of the princess-priestess Takushit, dating to around 670 BC. Standing 70 cm high and wearing a gown covered in hieroglyphs, the statue was found south of Alexandria in 1880.

Stathatos collection

The Stathatos collection is named for the donors and major Greek benefactors Antonis and Eleni Stathatos. The collection features about 1000 objects, mainly jewels as well as metal objects, vases, and pottery from the Middle Bronze Age to post- Byzantine era. Features of special note are the Hellenistic period golden jewels from

Karpenissi Karpenisi ( el, Καρπενήσι, ) is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Evrytania. Karpenisi is situated in the valley of the river Karpenisiotis (Καρπενησιώτης), a tributary of the Megdovas, in t ...

and Thessaly.

Artists and artifacts

Some of the ancient artists whose work is presented in the museum are Myron, Scopas, Euthymides,

Lydos Lydos (Greek: Λυδός, ''the Lydian'') was an Attic vase painter in the black-figure style. Active between about 560 and 540 BC, he was the main representative of the '’’Lydos Group’’’. His signature, ό Λυδός, ho Lydos ("the ...

Agoracritus Agoracritus (Greek ''Agorákritos''; fl. late 5th century BC) was a famous sculptor in ancient Greece. Life Agoracritus was born on the island of Paros, and was active from about Olympiad 85 to 88, that is, from about 436 to 424 BC.Pliny, ''Nat ...

, Agasias,

Pan Painter The Pan Painter was an ancient Greek vase-painter of the Attic red-figure style, probably active c. 480 to 450 BC. John Beazley attributed over 150 vases to his hand in 1912: Archaic Mannerism Beazley identified the Pan Painter as a pupil ...

Wedding Painter Wedding Painter is the conventional name for an ancient Greek vase painter active in Athens from ''circa'' 480 to 460 BC. He painted in the red-figure technique. His name vase is a ''pyxis'' in the Louvre depicting the wedding of Thetis and Peleu ...

Meleager Painter The Meleager Painter was an ancient Greek vase painter of the Attic red-figure Red-figure vase painting is one of the most important styles of figural Greek vase painting. It developed in Athens around 520 BCE and remained in use until the l ...

Cimon of Cleonae Cimon of Cleonae was an early painter of ancient Greece. He was said to have introduced great improvements in drawing. He represented figures, according to Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman ...

Nessos Painter The Nessos Painter, also known as Netos or Nettos Painter, was a pioneer of Attic black-figure vase painting. He is considered to be the first Athenian to adopt the Corinthian style who went on to develop his own style and introduced innovations ...

Damophon Damophon ( grc-gre, Δαμοφῶν; fl. 2nd century BC) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek sculpture, sculptor of the Hellenistic period from Messene, who executed many statues for the people of Messene, Megalopolis, Greece, Megalopolis, Aigio, A ...

Aison (vase painter) Aison was an ancient Greek vase painter of the red-figure style. About 60 of his vases survive, which are dated between 435 and 415 BCE. Aison spent his career in several workshops, where he came into contact with several other well-known painte ...

, Analatos Painter, Polygnotos (vase painter),

Hermonax Hermonax was a Greek vase painter working in the red-figure style. He painted between c. 470 and 440 BC in Athens. Ten vases signed with the phrase "Hermonax has painted it" survive, mainly stamnoi and lekythoi. He is generally a painter of ...

. Collections include sculpture work,

Loutrophoros A loutrophoros (Ancient Greek: λουτροφόρος; Greek etymology: λουτρόν/loutron and φέρω/pherō, English translation: "bathwater" and "carry") is a distinctive type of Greek pottery vessel characterized by an elongated neck wit ...

amphora An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...

, Hydria, Skyphos, Krater, Pelike, and lekythos vessels,

Stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es, jewellery, weapons, tools, coins, toys and other ancient items. Artifacts derive from archaeological excavations in

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...

, Mycenae, Tiryns, Dodona, Vaphio,

Rhamnous Rhamnous ( grc, Ῥαμνοῦς, Rhamnoûs; el, Ραμνούς, Ramnoús, label=Modern Greek), also Ramnous or Rhamnus, was an ancient Greek city in Attica situated on the coast, overlooking the Euboean Strait. Its impressive ruins lie northwe ...

, Lycosura, Aegean islands,

, the Temple of Aphaea in Aegina, the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta,

, Thebes, Athens, Vari Cave, the

Antikythera wreck The Antikythera wreck ( gr, Ναυάγιο των Αντικυθήρων) is a Roman-era shipwreck dating from the second quarter of the first century BC."''The Antikythera Shipwreck. The Ship, The Treasures, The Mechanism. National Archaeologic ...

and from various other places in Greece. The museum houses the archaic terracota statuette

daidala The ''daidala'' is a type of sculpture attributed to the legendary Greek artist Daedalus, who is connected in legend both to Bronze Age Crete and to the earliest period of Archaic sculpture in Bronze Age Greece. The legends about Daedalus recog ...

that inspired the designers of the 2004 Athens Olympics maskots

Athena and Phevos Athena and Phevos ( el, Αθηνά, Φοίβος; pronounced and ) were the official mascots of the 2004 Summer Olympics and Proteas ( el, Πρωτέας, ) was the official mascot of the 2004 Summer Paralympics, both held in Athens, Greece. ...

New exhibits

Two of the newest exhibits of the museum include a 4th-century BC golden funerary wreath and a 6th-century BC marble statue of a woman, which were returned as stolen artifacts to Greece in 2007 by the Getty Museum in California, after a 10-year-long legal dispute between the

Getty Center The Getty Center, in Los Angeles, California, is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997 and is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views over ...

and the Greek Government. One year earlier, the Los Angeles foundation agreed to return a 4th-century BC tombstone from near Greek Thebes and a 6th-century BC votive relief from the island of Thassos.

Museum highlights

* Antikythera mechanism *

Bronze Statuette of Athletic Spartan Girl The Bronze Statuettes of Athletic Spartan Girl are bronze figurines depicting a Spartan young woman wearing a short tunic in a presumably running pose. These statuettes are considered Spartan manufacture dating from the 6th century B.C., and they we ...

* Nestor's Cup * Mask of Agamemnon * Dipylon inscription * Poseidon of Cape Artemision *

Antikythera Ephebe The Antikythera Ephebe, registered as: ''Bronze statue of a youth'' in the museum collections, is a bronze statue of a young man of languorous grace that was found in 1900 by sponge-divers in the area of the ancient Antikythera shipwreck off t ...

* Diadumenos *

Marathon Boy The Marathon Boy or Ephebe of Marathon is a Greek bronze sculpture found in the Aegean Sea in the bay of Marathon in 1925. The sculpture is conserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens where it is dated to around 340–330 BC. The ...

* Lemnos stela *Collection of Kouros and Kore (sculpture) **

Kroisos Kouros The Kroisos Kouros ( grc, κοῦρος) is a marble kouros from Anavyssos (Ανάβυσσος) in Attica which functioned as a grave marker for a fallen young warrior named Kroisos (). Overview The free-standing sculpture strides forward with t ...

Sounion Kouros The Sounion Kouros is an early archaic Greek statue of a naked young man or kouros (Ancient Greek κοῦρος, plural kouroi) carved in marble from the island of Naxos around 600 BCE. It is one of the earliest examples that scholars have of the ...

* Aphrodite of Cnidus *

Pitsa panels The Pitsa panels or Pitsa tablets are a group of painted wooden tablets found near Pitsa, Corinthia (Greece). They are the earliest surviving examples of Greek panel painting. Location The four panels, two of them highly fragmentary, were discov ...

Daidala The ''daidala'' is a type of sculpture attributed to the legendary Greek artist Daedalus, who is connected in legend both to Bronze Age Crete and to the earliest period of Archaic sculpture in Bronze Age Greece. The legends about Daedalus recog ...

* Ninnion Tablet *

Theseus Ring The Theseus Ring is a gold signet ring that dates back to the 15th-century BC, in the Mycenaean period, though the subject is typical of Minoan art. The ring is gold and measures 2.7 x 1.8 cm. On the ring is a depiction of a bull-leaping sc ...

*Wall frescoes from Tiryns and

Capitoline Venus The Capitoline Venus is a type of statue of Venus, specifically one of several ''Venus Pudica'' (modest Venus) types (others include the Venus de' Medici type), of which several examples exist. The type ultimately derives from the Aphrodite of ...

Poseidon of Milos The Poseidon of Melos is a statue of Poseidon in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens (NAMA), with the inventory number 235, which is dated to the last quarter of the second century BC. It is believed to be dated back to the Hellenistic Peri ...

* Rhyton in the shape of a bull head * Jockey of Artemision *Mycenean Warrior Vase

Library of archaeology

The museum houses a 118-year-old library of archeology with rare ancient art, science and philosophy books and publications. The library has some 20,000 volumes, including rare editions dating to the 17th century. The bibliography covers archaeology, history, arts, ancient religions and

ancient Greek philosophy Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC, marking the end of the Greek Dark Ages. Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and the period in which Greece and most Greek-inhabited lands were part of the Roman Empire ...

, as well as Ancient Greek and Latin literature. Of particular value are the diaries of various excavations including those of

. The collection of archaeology books is the richest of its kind in Greece. The Library has been recently renovated with funds from the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation. Its renovation was completed on 26 May 2008 and is now named after

Alexander Onassis Alexander Socrates Onassis ( gr, Αλέξανδρος Σωκράτης Ωνάσης; April 30, 1948January 23, 1973) was an American-born Greek businessman. He was the son of the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his first wife Tina ...

Museum activities

Athens, National Archaeological Museum, hall

Conservation laboratories *Photographic archive and chemistry laboratories *Organises temporary exhibitions in the museum and abroad *Hosts a large number of archaeology related lectures in its lecture-hall annually

Access

The museum is accessible by the Athens metro. The nearest station is Victoria Station (Line 1) and it is within a 5-minute walk from the museum. The museum houses a gift shop with artifact replicas and a café in the sculpture garden. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. There are also facilities and guides for hearing-impaired visitors. It is next to the old building of the National Technical University and is served by bus, trolleybus and metro. It is not served by Proastiakos or the Athens Tram.

References

External links

National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Official website
Review of The National Archaeological Museum in Athens at UNRV.com
*High-resolution 360° Panoramas o
Archaeological Museum , Art AtlasNational Archaeological Museum of Athens: History, location, how and when to visit. Text in English, photos
{{Authority control 1829 establishments in Greece Museums established in 1829 Mycenaean Greece Museums of ancient Greece in Greece Egyptological collections Art museums and galleries in Greece Archaeological museums in Athens Exarcheia Neoclassical architecture in Greece Ioannis Kapodistrias