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Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
The Benaki Museum of Islamic Art is situated in a Neo-Classical building complex in the Kerameikos neighbourhood. It is the only museum of its kind in Greece, featuring a unique collection of world-renowned artifacts, one of the top-ten collections worldwide. The evolution of Islamic civilisation from the first appearance of Islam up to the Ottoman period and the corresponding development of Islamic art up to the 19th century are demonstrated by more than 8,000 works of art, including ceramics, gold, metalwork, textiles and glass, smaller groupings of bone objects, inscribed funerary steles and weaponry, as well as the marble-faced interior of a reception room from a 17th-century Cairo mansion. During the preservation works of the building, a section of the ancient city wall of Athens was uncovered at the basement level; it is now accessible to visitors. More information at http://bit.ly/2YPAtwg
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The area
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Neighbourhood: Kerameikos
How to get there
- Thissio • 4 min walk
- Monastiraki • 8 min walk
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4.5
118 reviews
Excellent
69
Very good
37
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
3
MaayanLior
Tel Aviv, Israel697 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Rude staff, made our experience poor.
We left the exhibition early than we expected and we decided to go instead to hellenic car museum.
Go directly to hellenic car museum and skip the art museum you’ll enjoy the car museum much more, guaranteed.
We left the exhibition early than we expected and we decided to go instead to hellenic car museum.
Go directly to hellenic car museum and skip the art museum you’ll enjoy the car museum much more, guaranteed.
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan D
connecticut879 contributions
July 2021
We loved this museum which is a little off the beaten path. It was an oppressively hot day and it was nice to be inside this cool oasis. There were only 2 other visitors when we were there on early afternoon on a Friday. If you like islamic ceramics such as from Iran, this place is for you. Beautiful!!!
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
w x y
Lancaster, PA64 contributions
Apr 2022
I was a bit surprised to find an Islamic art museum in Athens, given Greece's history with the Ottomans. The collection is small, but many of the pieces are excellent. The exhibition is well document with useful explanation of the time periods covered. Definitely worth an hour or so of your time.
Written 14 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ziellona
90 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
Benaki Islamic has absolutely amazing exhibition. As in. All museums of this family, there are lot of amazing things with very little description.
Means that beauty of the exhibition is. Absolutely amazed, but we don't know what we are looking for. Descriptions are in 2 languages, but little letters and low located don't help us.
In my humble opinion the benaki Islamic is absolutely worth to visit
Means that beauty of the exhibition is. Absolutely amazed, but we don't know what we are looking for. Descriptions are in 2 languages, but little letters and low located don't help us.
In my humble opinion the benaki Islamic is absolutely worth to visit
Written 27 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GibbonArms
England48 contributions
June 2014 • Solo
The exhibits look great from the pictures, but was disappointed to find museum is closed on Mon/Tue/Wed. Hope this helps no-one else make the mistake I made.
Written 12 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick V
Athens, Greece70 contributions
Feb 2013 • Family
The museum is situated near Kerameikos. The collection includes many artifacts about islam - vases, wooden doors, carpets, mosaic, etc. It has big maps that help you understand the islamic history of the middle east and eastern europe. It is not very big, so you can see it in 1 hour. You can buy books and artifacts at the door.
Written 18 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
heddyNYC
new york69 contributions
July 2018
This small, quiet museum has a terrific collection of art -- from luster ceramics to illustrated Korans.
Written 26 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
greekcypriot2009
Athens, Greece8,970 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
The Benaki Museum’s new annexe houses Antonis Benaki’s collection of Islamic art, spanning the 7th to the 19th centuries.
The Museum holds over 10.000 objects, of which about 1.500 are displayed at any one time.
The Islamic love of sumptuous materials and rich decoration is apparent in the collections’ elaborately patterned ceramics, intricate metal work, ornate woodcarvings, delicate glassware, textiles, gold jewelry, tombstones, illuminated manuscripts, astronomical instruments, arms and armour, an even a lavish marble floor from a 17th-century mansion in Cairo.
Located in the Keramikos district in a neoclassical house donated by Lambros Eftaxias, the exhibits are organized chronologically over four floors, and include works from Babylonia to Egypt.
The Benaki is one of the most significant collections of Islamic art in Europe, and offers an insightful journey through the fascinating culture of the Muslim world.
The Museum holds over 10.000 objects, of which about 1.500 are displayed at any one time.
The Islamic love of sumptuous materials and rich decoration is apparent in the collections’ elaborately patterned ceramics, intricate metal work, ornate woodcarvings, delicate glassware, textiles, gold jewelry, tombstones, illuminated manuscripts, astronomical instruments, arms and armour, an even a lavish marble floor from a 17th-century mansion in Cairo.
Located in the Keramikos district in a neoclassical house donated by Lambros Eftaxias, the exhibits are organized chronologically over four floors, and include works from Babylonia to Egypt.
The Benaki is one of the most significant collections of Islamic art in Europe, and offers an insightful journey through the fascinating culture of the Muslim world.
Written 5 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PhoenixHammer
18 contributions
July 2015 • Solo
Despite it's central location near Kerameikos, few tourists get to this incredible museum. The museum boasts a fascinating and expertly presented collection of art from throughout much of the Islamic world (South Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Europe). There is an archaeological site in the basement which consists of part of the ancient city wall, and a well-curated book shop. One thing I wish I could have seen was more material from Greece itself. I counted just one artifact that originated in Ottoman Greece (a rifle), and would have loved to learn more about Islam in Greece during that time period.
Written 13 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yannoma
Munich, Germany304 contributions
Dec 2014
Very nice Museum with a beautiful collection of islamic Art, nicely also organized going up in every lecel to see the expansion of Arabic World over the centuries, sth else to see and also part of the history of Greece.
ps. I my self a jeweller realy amazed by the Iranian Emaille jewellery .
ps. I my self a jeweller realy amazed by the Iranian Emaille jewellery .
Written 2 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jackietano
Nicosia, Cyprus
Please advise names of quality hotels nearest to museum
Written 2 November 2017
There is no need to stay in a hotel near Benaki. it is very reacheable everywhere... just choose hotel from Plaka or Monasteraki depending what are your demands for a hotel.
Written 17 November 2017
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