Athens Museum of
Cycladic Art
The Athens Museum of Cycladic Art houses a remarkable collection of
Cycladic figurines and other items and is one of the best museums in Athens.
Athens Museum of Cycladic Art
Photo by C. Messier
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This first-class modern museum houses the remarkable private
collection of Nicholas and Dolly Goulandris. Nicholas Goulandris was a
shipowner and a patron of the arts and in the 1960s he and his wife started
collecting Greek antiques and art objects, and had a special interest in the unique
ancient art of the Cycladic islands. The museum was founded to house the
collection in 1986, with a new wing added in 1991.
Athens Museum of Cycladic Art: Highlights
The displays span many centuries of ancient Greek art –
vases, glassware and other items – but the central exhibits are the beautiful artefacts
from the Cycladic civilisation of 3000–2000 BC.
Cycladic Statues
Photo by Jean Housen
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The statues are especially memorable – the figures seem to
float in their display cabinets as subtle lighting brings out their shape and
texture. It will be a rare visitor who is not tempted to take home a copy from
the attractive museum shop.
Photo by Donna Dailey
The actual Cycladic items only take up one of the four
floors in the main building, and the rooms are quite small – just one main room
on each floor. The others are given over to a collection of Bronze Age items,
one from the Mycenean period and a remarkable collection of beautiful Cypriot
antiquities, the largest one in Greece.
Photo by Jean Housen
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Athens Museum of Cycladic Art: New Wing
On the corner of Irodotou and Vasilissis Sofias is the
entrance to the newer wing of the Cycladic Museum, joined to the main building
by a glass-covered walkway. This wing is as interesting for the building that
houses it as for its contents.
It was designed by and was the home of the German architect
Ernst Ziller, the man also responsible for the Olympic Stadium, the
Presidential Palace, and Heinrich Schliemann's house on Panepistimiou.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
Some rooms of the museum display furniture and watercolours,
giving an impression of the mansion's appearance when Ziller lived in it during
the late 19th century. Other rooms contain an extension of the main Cycladic
collection. There is a shop downstairs, and space upstairs for temporary
exhibitions.
Cycladic Museum Shop
Photo by Jean Housen
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Some other Athens pages
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.
There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.
Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes.
Around Monastiraki is the flea market, Athens cathedral, Kerameikos Cemetery, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art and the Psirri and Gazi nightlife districts.
Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.
Athens Food Tours are being introduced by new company The Greek Fork, and will include tours of the Central Market, and the best street food.
Amusing children in Athens is easy as there is lots to do including a children’s museum, planetarium, beaches, and easy excursions to the nearest islands.
Athens in the rain isn’t something you’re likely to experience but here are suggestions for things to do in the rain in Athens including museums and shopping
The Pnyx hill near the Acropolis is one of Athens' true hidden gems, a place to wander freely away from the crowds and discover ancient places and mysteries.
The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.
This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.
If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens include eating in the Central Market, watching the sun set over the Acropolis and seeing one of the world's oldest theatres.
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
Two of the best cocktail bars in Athens, MoMix Kerameikos and The Clumsies, are making creative cocktails using that most Greek of Greek spirits, Metaxa.
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.
The Athens War Museum is a fascinating look at Greek history through the lens of warfare from ancient battles to the Greek War of Independence and World War II.
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
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