After four trips to Greece in the past five years, I finally made it to the Benaki Museum!  There are actually several buildings scattered throughout Athens, including museums of modern art, Islamic art, and toys. I visited the “main” building, which houses artifacts representative of Greek culture. It totally exceeded my expectations.

Entry of the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

I spent five happy hours gazing, reading and learning about the collections spanning from the Neolithic period (6500) to the 1821 War of Independence. Although some people may tire of looking at pottery, jewelry and items unearthed during archaeological digs in Greece, I don’t. Each shard, figurine, jewel or stone is unique and fascinating. Fashioned by hands of the past, they depict a world unknown to me. They expand my imagination and add to my collective earth-life experience; for when I exit the building, I know a little more than when I arrived.

I hope that these photos and descriptive captions will help you envision the world of your Hellenic ancestors, whether they lived 3,000 or 300 years ago. If you click on the photos, they will expand in another window.

Artifacts from the Neolithic period, 6500.

Vases, 709 BC

Faience necklace beads and pottery, 1400 BC. (faience is glazed ceramic ware, in particular decorated tin-glazed earthenware)

Items from 9th century BC; in the front are gold hair rings, used to tame ringlets of hair

Figures on horses, 600 BC

Terracotta female, most likely a priestess, holding a lyre. 6th century BC

Tiny alabaster painted vases, 650 BC

Marble grave stele (monument or marker), mid-4th century BC

Terracotta female deities, 450 BC

Silver luxurious vessels, 6th-7th century

Grave markers found at Thebes which marked the location of graves, 3rd century BC

Inscribed grave stele of a farewell scene, 14 AD

Mosaic of Christ and Mary from Hagia Sofia Church, Constantinople, dated 867

Icons created on the island of Crete, 14th century

Costumes from various Greek islands

Costumes from various Greek islands

Pottery dishes, various dates

Carved wood loom from Crete, early 19th century

Reception hall from mansion on Hydra, 1800

Greek Orthodox Church censors and iconostasis, 1830

1821 War of Independence weapons and artifacts

The liberation of Greece, 32 lithographs, post-1821

Costume of an urban Greek woman and Mavromichalis, a leader of the people of Mani in the early 19th century

The core collection of the Benaki Museum comes from the holdings of  Antonios Benakis (1873-1954) a member of one of the leading families in Greece. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt  and eventually settled in Athens in 1926. His lifetime of acquisitions has educated and enlightened thousand of people. I am grateful for the time I had to explore this fascinating museum.