Entrance to all museums and archaeological sites in Greece will be free of charge on Thursday, May 18 2017 as they celebrate the International Museums Day. Several events are planned for visitors.
The theme chosen for 2017 is “Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums”.
On the occasion, the Acropolis Museum will exhibit for the first time fragments of a statue depicting the “Polos Kore” (young woman with a high head dress) inside the Archaic Acropolis Gallery, together with the exceptional head 696. These fragments are currently in the museum’s store rooms. Visitors will be able to view these artifacts arranged in a special showcase in order to get the complete picture of the statue before its destruction by the Persians.
Archaeologists at the Archaeological Museum in Athens will narrate stories behind selected exhibits that relate to latent traumatic memories. What secrets does the Linear B tablet from the palace in Pylos hide? Where are the two men and the eight women referred to on the table heading to? What magical powers could the ancient inscription on the lead tile from Salamis have for the ancients?
These and other stories will reveal an unknown or contested world of antiquity, while other narratives will familiarize visitors with aspects of the modern history of antiquities.
The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that, museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. It is organized on and around 18 May each year.
From Stoa Attalou Museum in Ancient Agora – Athens
Reminder: On Saturday, May 20th is the European Museums Night.
The Acropolis Museum will be open until midnight, entrance will be free after 8 pm, I think to have understood.
For better information, please, check directly with the museums.
