Benaki Museum Athens Gallery
The Benaki Museum. Photograph: Why Athens

The Benaki Museum

41
Where: Central, walking distance from Evangelismos metro station
Why Go: A beautiful setting for one of the best private collections in Athens
We Loved: The decorative objects used in daily life through out Greek history and the reconstruction of stately rooms found in 18th century mansions

Dating back to antiquity and the Byzantine period, the Benaki Museum’s collection gives a captivating overview of Greek history throughout the ages.

The private collection was cultivated by Antonis Benakis, a wealthy cotton merchant, in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis. Housed in the original Benaki family mansion, it is an impressive neoclassical building and one of the few that survived the architectural post-war destruction.

Benaki Museum Athens Mansion

Photograph: Why Athens. A reconstructed reception room found in a stately mansion in northern Greece.

The highlights of the permanent exhibition are the reconstruction of reception rooms found in stately mansions in Greek Macedonia in the mid 18th century. Rescued in the 1930s, they feature the original gilded ceilings and wood paneled walls. It’s a rare glimpse at how the other half lived during this period and a good example of decorative fusions between central European, Ottoman and Byzantine styles.

A film directed by Athina Tsaggari, narrated by Willem Dafoe and produced by Faliro House productions, is dedicated to the Benaki Museum and its founder. Music by Marilena Orfanou.

Why Athens Tips: 

  • Every Thursday the museum is open until 12 midnight and you can finish off your visit at their restaurant which has views over the Acropolis and the National Gardens
  • The Byzantine and War Museums are both within walking distance to the Benaki Museum
  • The museum shop is a worthwhile visit with some of the best reproductions of Greece’s antiquities.