Athens, Greece
In researching things to see and do in Athens, something
called the Benaki Museum appeared in my guidebook and on most online sites of
top attractions in Athens, described as possibly the best museum in Greece. Housed
in a three-story mansion, the museum consists of the private collection Greek
artefacts of 20th century politician Antonis Benaki, dating from the
Neolithic age through the early twentieth century. Although there is a goodly amount of ancient Greek
statuary and ceramics, the real highlights of the museum are from later eras,
including Byzantine icons, a huge collection of regional costumes from various
parts of Greece, household furnishings and period rooms from homes in
Macedonia. I noticed the museum was open
late on Thursdays, our first full day in Athens, when it also free admission. And late in Greece mean really late; I’ve
never before encountered a museum that stays open until midnight.
Benaki collected other art and artefacts too. A second
museum in a different part of town houses his collection of Islamic art,
considered one of the most comprehensive in the world. Having lived in Egypt and traveled a fair
amount in Muslim countries, I am quite familiar with Islamic art. Rodrigo had never seen any before and was
quite fascinated by what he saw in the Islamic Art Museum.
2025-05-23