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National Archaeological Museum Review

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National Archaeological Museum

Address: 28 Oktovriou (Patission) 44, Exarchia, Athens
Phone: 210/821-7717
www.culture.gr

Category: Museums/Galleries
Location: Exarchia

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 5.0/5

Fodor's Review:

By far the most important museum in Greece, this collection contains artistic highlights from every period of ancient Greek civilization, from Neolithic to Roman times. Be warned, however, that into 2007 the museum will be only partially open, with closed galleries marked by a red X on the floor plan by the main entrance. Underway is a grand-scale expansion and renovation that encompasses both a much-needed face-lift and a near doubling of gallery space; the plan will allow the museum to show works that have languished in storage for decades. The reorganized displays will be accompanied by enriched English-language information.

Holdings are grouped in five major collections: prehistoric artifacts (7th millennium BC to 1050 BC), sculptures, bronzes, vases and minor arts, and Egyptian artifacts. The museum's most celebrated display is the Mycenaean Antiquities. Here are the stunning gold treasures from Heinrich Schliemann's 1876 excavations of Mycenae's royal tombs: the funeral mask of a bearded king, once thought to be the image of Agamemnon but now believed to be much older, from about the 15th century BC; a splendid silver bull's-head libation cup; and the 15th-century BC Vaphio Goblets, masterworks in embossed gold. Mycenaeans were famed for their carving in miniature, and an exquisite example is the ivory statuette of two curvaceous mother goddesses with a child nestled on their laps.

Withheld from the public since they were damaged in the 1999 earthquakes, but not to be missed, are the beautifully restored frescoes from Santorini, delightful murals depicting daily life in Minoan Santorini. Along with the treasures from Mycenae, these wall paintings are part of the museum's Prehistoric Collection.

Other stars of the museum include the works of Geometric and Archaic art (10th-6th centuries BC), and kouroi and funerary stelae (8th-5th centuries BC), among them the stelae of the warrior Aristion signed by Aristokles, and the unusual Running Hoplite (a hoplite was a Greek infantry soldier). The collection of Classical art (5th-3rd centuries BC) contains some of the most renowned surviving ancient statues: the bareback Jockey of Artemision, a 2nd-century BC Hellenistic bronze salvaged from the sea; from the same excavation, the bronze Artemision Poseidon (some say Zeus), poised and ready to fling a trident (or thunderbolt?); and the Varvakios Athena, a half-size marble version of the gigantic gold-and-ivory cult statue that Pheidias erected in the Parthenon.

Some of the most moving displays are those of funerary architecture: the spirited 2nd-century relief of a rearing stallion held by a black groom, which exemplifies the transition from classical to Hellenistic style, the latest period in the museum's holdings. Among the most famous sculptures in this collection is the humorous marble group of a nude Aphrodite getting ready to slap an advancing Pan with a sandal, while Eros floats overhead and grasps one of Pan's horns.

Light refreshments are served in a lower ground-floor café, which opens out to a patio and sculpture garden.

Cost: EUR 6
Open: Apr.-Oct. 15, Mon. 12:30-7, Tues.-Sun. 8:30-7; Oct. 16-Mar., Mon. 10:30-5, Tues.-Sun. 8:30-3. Closed Jan. 1, Mar. 25, May 1, Easter Sun., Dec. 25-26; open reduced hrs other holidays

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by tessiecalta from Tampa, FL on 6/22/07
The National Archaeological Museum is my favorite place in all of Athens. The artifacts, sculptures, and stela are amazing. Knowing a small amount of Greek history and mythology will make the museum more interesting because of the understanding one can make with the various objects and pieces. Absolutely fantastic!