The New Acropolis Museum is Open ... Partially

[Susan-M]

This may have already been posted (we've been away for 3 weeks...so I apologize if it's 'old news') ... the new Acropolis Museum is open and worth stopping in at for 45 minutes to an hour. Hours are 10-6 daily and admission is free now.

 

It is outside of the Acropolis site, just below it and next to the Acropoli Metro Stop. It's an impressive building, with extensive use of glass floors both outside and inside, displaying ruins below.

 

There are no permanent exhibits set up yet, but there is a temporary exhibit of "Repatriated Masterpieces" ... illegally obtained antiquities that have been located and returned to the countries where they were taken from. Most are from Italy and are on loan from them for this exhibit...an impressive collection of items.

[CintiPam]

Glad to hear that finally some exhibits are there to see. We stopped there in mid-September, and while I enjoyed the lovely restroom and water fountain, I was extremely disappointed that other than the glass floors and a view from over 60 yards away of two of the carytids, there was nothing else which you were permitted to view and that all was roped off past the first ramp up.

 

I don't understand why the Greek government closed the existing museum long before the new museum is reading for opening, and thus no Acropolis artifacts are available for view. I thought it simply was political pressure regarding the Elgin marbles, but was informed on the tripadvisor website that I am wrong. I saw enjoyed the small Agora museum, and would have liked to similarly enjoy Acropolis artifacts.

[cruisemom42]

This may have already been posted (we've been away for 3 weeks...so I apologize if it's 'old news') ... the new Acropolis Museum is open and worth stopping in at for 45 minutes to an hour. Hours are 10-6 daily and admission is free now.

 

It is outside of the Acropolis site, just below it and next to the Acropoli Metro Stop. It's an impressive building, with extensive use of glass floors both outside and inside, displaying ruins below.

 

There are no permanent exhibits set up yet, but there is a temporary exhibit of "Repatriated Masterpieces" ... illegally obtained antiquities that have been located and returned to the countries where they were taken from. Most are from Italy and are on loan from them for this exhibit...an impressive collection of items.

 

Thanks for the update. Now if they will just reopen the Akrotiri site on Santorini, I can plan my Greek odyssey...

 

I wonder if the "Repatriated Masterpieces" exhibit is a not-so-subtle dig at the British? If I recall correctly, one reason the Acropolis museum was built was to prove the Greeks could house the "Elgin marbles" appropriately in the hopes that the British would return them.

[Susan-M]

I wonder if the "Repatriated Masterpieces" exhibit is a not-so-subtle dig at the British? If I recall correctly, one reason the Acropolis museum was built was to prove the Greeks could house the "Elgin marbles" appropriately in the hopes that the British would return them.

 

Yes, I'm sure that is a big part of the reason for this exhibit, but also to emphasize their efforts to reclaim many other items which have gone astray through illegal antiquities dealing.

 

Most of the items in this exhibit, called 'Nostoi' are Italian artifacts. The exhibit was originally shown in Rome (those items are on loan from Italy for this exhibit). In addition, there are ten artifacts reclaimed by Greece... the Macedonian gold wreath from the J.Paul Getty Museum being a major one.

 

This exhibit runs to Dec. 31/08 .... hopefully they'll continue to display other temporary exhibits until the permanent exhibits are ready (which appears to be a long ways off ... a staff member said they are hoping for next summer.)