Byzantine and Christian Museum

The Byzantine and Christian Museum is one of Greece’s national museums and holds a collection of over 25,000 objects featuring religious artifacts of the Early Christian, Byzantine, Medieval, post-Byzantine and later periods. It was founded in 1914 and houses one of the world’s most important collections of Byzantine art. Objects range from sculptures, religious documents, frescoes, pottery, textiles, and manuscripts, among others. The museum grounds include a garden area, which serves as an oasis in the heart of the city where visitors can take an imaginary journey through history and art.

Exhibitions of historic and archaeological interest are presented in the gardens, including a well-cistern that explores how Athens supplied the city with water from ancient times to present, an exhibition on the Byzantine concept of paradise, and an exhibition on the development of the landscape on the banks of the river from antiquity to modern times. The museum also houses a research library with over 15,000 books specializing in Byzantine archaeology and art.

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)