Benaki Museum, Major cultural museum in Kolonaki district, Athens, Greece
The Benaki Museum is a cultural museum in the Kolonaki district of Athens with several floors in a former mansion. The collection ranges from prehistoric finds through Byzantine icons to paintings and textiles from the period after Greek independence.
Antonis Benakis handed over his family house and his extensive collection to the Greek state in 1931. The holdings grew further after the Second World War through donations and purchases.
The museum founder Antonis Benakis collected his objects during his time in Egypt and brought them back to Greece. Visitors today see the family's personal living rooms alongside exhibition halls with furniture and paintings from the early twentieth century.
The main entrance is located on Koumbari Street and can be reached from Syntagma metro station within a few minutes on foot. The building has lifts and toilets on several floors.
The rooftop terrace with café offers a view over the surrounding roofs up to the Acropolis. On some evenings small events and lectures are organized here.
Location: Athens Municipality
Inception: 1930
Founders: Antonis Benakis
Official opening: 1931
Address: Коумбари 1, Атина
Opening Hours: Sunday, Thursday 10:00-18:00; Friday-Saturday 10:00-22:00; Monday-Wednesday off
Phone: +302103453111
Website: https://benaki.org/index.php?lang=en
GPS coordinates: 37.97594,23.74041
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29
Private art museums and galleries of international importance offer direct access to significant contemporary collections. These institutions, operated by foundations, collectors, or corporations, present works outside the traditional public museum landscape. Many of these venues occupy converted industrial buildings, historic residences, or purpose-built structures that connect art with architecture. The selection includes establishments such as Benesse Art Site Naoshima on the Japanese island of Naoshima, where museum buildings by Tadao Ando house works by contemporary artists. Dia:Beacon, north of New York City, displays minimalist and conceptual art in a former 1920s Nabisco factory. In Berlin, Sammlung Boros opens its doors in a converted World War II bunker. Additional examples include Fondation Beyeler in Basel with works of classical modernism, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art north of Copenhagen overlooking the Øresund strait, and Museo Jumex in Mexico City for Latin American contemporary art.
Athens offers numerous locations for photography that range from ancient structures to modern urban spaces. The Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus rank among the city's most significant archaeological sites, while neighborhoods like Plaka and Anafiotika provide narrow streets and traditional architecture that contrast with the modern metropolis. Lycabettus Hill and Areopagus Hill offer elevated viewpoints over the city and its ancient ruins. Markets like Varvakios, squares such as Monastiraki and Syntagma, and museums including the National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Museum document different aspects of Greek history and culture. The Panathenaic Stadium and Zappeion Hall showcase neoclassical architecture from the 19th century, while the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center represents contemporary design. These locations provide different perspectives on a city whose history spans more than 3,000 years.
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