Islamic Art Museum of Athens

Islamic Art Museum in Athens (© Copyright: Islamic Art Museum)

Islamic Art Museum of Athens

The Islamic Art Museum of Athens is the spawn of the Benaki Museum, and considered one of the most universally significant of-its-kind to this day. The building itself is a neo-classical complex is located in the area of Kerameikos and its cemetery.

The complex is made up of a 3-level house and a 2-level house, the facades of which were listed in 1989. When they were being renovated, a part of the city’s wall and an ancient tomb were discovered on the foundations. Today, these can be seen at the basement of the building. The Islamic Art Museum consists of four floors. Its' collection covers the centuries from the 7th Century A.D. to the 19th Century.

Historically speaking, young Mr. Antonis Benakis began to collect pieces in Egypt at the beginning of the 20th Century – making them the basis of what is now on display at the museum. From there, it has included examples of all its local variations such as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Arabia, North Africa, Sicily and Spain.