Athens Series - Benaki Museum

There are a number of noteworthy museums at Athens that I was determined not to miss. The trick however is that strolling among the museum exhibits is exhausting, particularly in the rarefied atmosphere inside the museum. I remember the time when I had to lie down for a while at the Prado Museum just from sheer exhaustion. So much to see, so little time, and not much fresh air.

The Benaki Museum is one of those private museums established and endowed by a fabulously wealthy family, in this case the Benakis. Over 3 floors, the museum showcased gold, funerary steles, arms, wood carvings, ceramics, pottery, glasswork and textiles focusing mainly on Greece through all ages of Greek culture and history. It is a museum rich with variety but lacking in statement pieces. However, the complete freedom of movement within the  museum where visitors are expected to respect the place and the objects on display was entirely refreshing. There was not a single attendant admonishing visitors not to do this or that.

The neoclassical entrance to Benaki Museum, Athens

Foyer, Benaki Museum

One of the exhibition rooms. Notice the folk costumes, part of a huge collection

Part of an extensive collection of gold jewelry

Incense burners and religious objects

One of the fabulous altarpieces

A watercolour of the Acropolis

Byzantine art: an icon of Christ. Note the skin colour.

What I missed was a good audio guide to learn more about the exhibits. The museum assumes that the descriptions are enough, but they are not because I for one would like to learn more about this vast collection amassed over the years and spanning thousands of centuries from pre-historic time to the 20th century.