Following a mass exodus of travelers from Athens during the heatwave, the city is unusually empty. Numerous restaurants are taking advantage of the public holiday to remain closed, however there are some museums that are open today. Not only are they open, but they are also free of charge due to the public holiday.
The Acropolis Museum (15 D. Areopagitou St, www.theacropolismuseum.gr), founded in 2003, is focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis. It was won many awards for its design, conservation and restoration program and sheer beauty. On August 15, visitors can enjoy a walk through its beautiful halls that showcase Greece’s antiquity without paying an admission fee.
The National Archaeology Museum of Athens (28 Oktovriou St., Patission St, near the Athens Polytechnic University, www.namuseum.gr) is the largest of Greece and one of the most important museums of the world. The museum has many collections such as Prehistoric, Sculptures, Santorini findings, Metallurgy, Egyptian Art as well as Near Eastern Antiquities amongst others. Two of the newest exhibits include a 4th-century B.C. funerary wreath and a 6th-century B.C. marble statue of a woman which were returned as stolen artifacts to Greece in 2007 by the Getty Museum in California after a 10-year legal battle.
The Byzantine and Christian Museum (BCM, 22 Vas. Sofias St. www.byzantinemuseum.gr/ ) is open on August 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The permanent indoor collection with icons and other Byzantine treasures is exquisite in its own right, however there’s also an outdoor installation by sculptress Kalliopi Lemos that focuses on the human struggle through life as well as an exhibition of 14 artworks by the late Dimitris Kontos and a “Talking Icons” display of 16th-19th century paintings from Russia and the Balkans.
The Numismatic Museum (12 Panepistimiou St, near Syntagma Square www.nma.gr) has the largest collection of coins from the ancient and modern world to boast of and is housed in the beautiful mansion of archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, known as Iliou Melathron.
