Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Branch of the Benaki Museum in Kerameikos with more than 8,000 objects of Islamic art from the Middle East, India and Spain.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum of Islamic Art is a branch of the Benaki Museum and opened to the public on 27 July 2004. The core of the collections comes from Adonis Benakis, and the Islamic art holdings of the Benaki Museum were enriched over the years. The museum is housed in the Kerameikos district, in a complex of neoclassical buildings.
The complex was donated by Lambros Eftaxias, later honorary president of the museum’s board of trustees. It consists of a three-storey and a two-storey house whose façades were designated as protected in 1989. The restoration and reinforcement works of 1996 were carried out to designs by the architect P. Kalligas and the civil engineer G. Sparis. During the works, part of the wall of ancient Athens and an ancient tomb came to light; both were preserved in situ and are accessible in the basement.
The collections comprise more than 8,000 objects from the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, North Africa and Spain, dating up to the 19th century. Among them stand out two carved wooden door leaves of the 8th century from Mesopotamia, the bronze astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj, a 10th-century straw mat from Tiberias, and an entire reception hall with marble cladding from a 17th-century Cairo mansion.
Highlights
- More than 8,000 objects of Islamic art from the Middle East to Spain
- Carved wooden door leaves of the 8th century from Mesopotamia
- Bronze astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj
- Reception hall from a 17th-century mansion in Cairo
- Section of the wall of ancient Athens and an ancient tomb in the basement
Permanent exhibition
- Μόνιμη έκθεση: Ισλαμική τέχνη – More than 8,000 objects from the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, North Africa and Spain up to the 19th century, including a reception hall from a Cairo mansion.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Μουσείο Μπενάκη
Admission & discounts
| Children & teens | –Visitors under the age of 22 enter free of charge. |
|---|---|
| Visitors with disabilities | freeVisitors with disabilities enter free of charge. |
| Combined ticket “Benaki Museum Experience” | –Valid for three months and allows one visit to each building of the Benaki Museum, except the Leigh Fermor House and the Valantoros Collection. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Θησείο
Metro Line 1, Thiseio station; or Metro Line 1 to Monastiraki station, then about 8 minutes on foot. There are also bus stops in the area.
The museum is located in Kerameikos, near the Ancient Agora, Thiseio and the Kerameikos Archaeological Museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Café on the roof terrace with a view of the historic district.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
