Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
(Manoli Andronikou 6-Thessaloniki, Tel: +30 2310-830538, email: istepka@culture.gr) Work on the construction of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki began in
February 1961, to designs by the architect Patroklos Karantinos. The building
was inaugurated on 27th October 1962, during the celebrations of the fiftieth
anniversary of the liberation of Thessaloniki. In 1971, the displays were brought to
completion in all the rooms. They included sculpture, a prehistoric collection, miniature
art of the Archaic and Classical periods, and the brilliant group of finds from the tombs
at Derveni, which was first presented to the public on the day of the inauguration
ceremony. A few years later, in 1978, the astonishing discoveries at Vergina led to
the first changes in the display: finds from the royal tombs were exhibited in the rooms
housing the prehistoric collection and miniature art as part of the exhibition
"Treasures of Ancient Macedonia". The treasures from Vergina, and other precious
discoveries of the 70's, made the construction of an extension to the Museum inevitable:
the new wing was inaugaurated in July 1980 with the exhibition "Alexander the Great".
This same year saw the begininng of the excavation of the cemetey at Sindos, with its
rich finds of gold, and the "Sindos" exhibition was opened to the public in October 1982.
There followed in 1984 a repeat of the exhibition of finds from Vergina and Derveni, in
1985 an exhibition on ancient Thessaloniki, and in 1989 an exhibition of new finds dating
from the Archaic and Classical periods at the ground floor of the New Wing.
The European Centre of Byzantine and Postbyzantine Monuments
(2 Stratou Avenue, 546 40 Thessaloniki, tel: +30 231 0889830, email: ekbmm@otenet.gr)
The European Centre of Byzantine and Postbyzantine Monuments (EKBMM) was
established under Law 2557/ 1997 (Art. 6 para. 3) and is a Legal Entity of private law,
overseen by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Its headquaters are in Thessaloniki, in
the Museum of Byzantine Culture. The decision to base the Center in Thessaloniki is
connected with the city's importance and with the role it played in the spread of Byzantine
culture to the European part of the Byzantine Empire and the Balkan countries in general.
Museum of Byzantine Culture
(2 Stratou Avenue, P.O. Box 50047, 540 13 Thessaloniki, Tel: +30-2310-868.570,
Åmail: protocol@mbp.culture.gr)
The Museum of Byzantine Culture aims in presenting various aspects of life during 
the byzantine and post-byzantine periods: art, ideology, social structure and religion,
as well as how historical changes and the political situation were affecting people' s
everyday life. At the same time, the activity of the Department of Educational
Programmes, the good structure and function of the conservation laboratories and of the
archaeological material storerooms, the provision of scientific know-how to other Balkan
countries, the organisation of scientific meetings and conferences, as well as the editing
and publishing work, render the Museum into an exceptionally important centre for the
preservation, research and promotion of Byzantine and Postbyzantine culture. Since
the Museum' s inauguration in 1994, an annual bulletin is published, the first of its
kind by a Greek public museum. The Museum of Byzantine Culture was awarded
the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2005, following the concurrent recommendation
of the Council' s Committee for Culture, Science and Education. The founding of the
Museum of Byzantine Culture and its official opening in 1994 in Thessaloniki, the
most "Byzantine" city of the modern Greek state, marks the end of a story that had
begun long before, just after the city' s liberation in 1912. In August 1913, a decree
issued by the Governor General of Macedonia, Stephanos Dragoumis, resolved
to establish a "Central Byzantine Museum" in Thessaloniki. At the suggestion of the
Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, Gennadios, it was decided that it would be housed in
Acheiropoietos Church. The decision was never carried out, however. Instead of
Acheiropoietos, a government decree issued in 1917 appointed the Rotunda as 
the new Macedonian museum, and large numbers of Christian sculptures were
collected there, some of them remaining on display in the Rotunda until the earthquake
of 1978. Meanwhile, the Christian and Byzantine Museum was founded in Athens in
1914, and in 1916 antiquities were transferred en masse from Thessaloniki to Athens
"for their own protection" and eventually included in the collection of the Byzantine
Museum in Athens. The question of founding the Museum resurfaced in actuality after
the change of polity in 1975. In 1977 a nationwide architectural competition was
announced and it was won by the entry submitted by Kyriakos Krokos. The foundation
stone was laid in March 1989 and the building was completed and handed over in October
1993. The antiquities that had been transferred to Athens in 1916 returned in June 1994,
part of which was displayed in the museum' s inaugural exhibition,
"Byzantine Treasures of Thessaloniki: The Return Journey", which opened, together
with the museum, on 11 September 1994. The 11 rooms that comprise the Museum' s
permanent exhibition opened gradually to the public from 1997 to early 2004. Since 1997
the Museum of Byzantine Culture has had the status of an independent regional unit of the
Ministry of Culture with its own director.
Thessaloniki Centre of Jewish Historical Studies 
(24 Tsimiski Street, 546 24 Thessaloniki P.O. Box 10098, 541 10 Thessaloniki,
Tel: +30 2310-272840)
The Centre was inaugurated on May 26, 1985 and its aims are to preserve and to
present the intellectual and cultural heritage of the Greek Jews. The Centre includes
a specialized library with works on history and linquistics, and studies on the folk
culture of the Jews of Greece. There is also an audio-cassete and record library with
popular and folk songs of the Greek Jews, as well as a permanent exhibition of 300
photographs and maps of the period 1880-1943, on the life of the Jews of Thessaloniki.
In a small wing of the museum are exhibited ritual objects, traditional costumes,
old Jewish newspapers and publications.
Thessaloniki History Centre
(Billis Building, Hippodrome Square, 546 21 Thessaloniki, Tel. 2310-264.668)
The Thessaloniki History Centre was created in 1983. Since its foundation it has served
the needs of the public and especially those of the scholarly community according to
the aims set out by its founders. The Centre belongs to the Library Division of the Cultural
Services of the Municipality of Thessaloniki and seeks to coordinate relevant municipal
activities with those of other scholarly and cultural institutions of the city and of individual
scholars in the field of history. The Centre has been designed to accomplish the following:
To collect, preserve, catalogue and study primary and secondary sources related to the
history, cultural heritage, administrative, social and economic life of Thessaloniki and its
environs. To carry out and encourage research in the history of Thessaloniki and
Macedonia. To promote national and international interest in the history of Thessaloniki
and Macedonia and to encourage collaboration among scholars. To develop the interest 
of Thessaloniki residents in the history of their city. Since 1995 the Centre operates in its
own building at Hippodrome Square, donated by Anastasios and Ioulia Billis. In its
supervised by an Advisory Committee, which includes distinguished scholars and other
men of letters of Thessaloniki. This Committee, in turn, has been divided into
sub-committees corresponding to the various activities of the Centre. The Thessaloniki
History Centre houses the municipal historical archive. Part of this archive is actually
located in the Centre building and is gradually becoming accessible to scholars.
The Centre also possesses a number of important private archival collections.
The Centre Library specializes in the city's historical literature. It also contains an
important photographic collection, a map collection and a collection of cart-postals
publicated in the beginning of the twentieth century. The library is located on the
second floor. The exhibition hall on the ground floor houses temporary exhibitions of
historical material on the city history, either from the Centre's own collection or from
private collections. The auditorium on the third floor is provided with modern
audio-visual equipment suitable for the organization of conferences and lecture series.
The Centre publishes historical monographs, conference proceedings and "Thessaloniki",
an annual publication of scholarly articles related to the history of the city from antiquity
to the modern age.
Thessaloniki Museum of Cinema The "Thessaloniki Museum of Cinema" was founded in1997 when the city of Thessaloniki 
was selected as theTMCultural Capital of Europei. This initiative coincided with the
worldwide commemoration of the centenary of Cinematography. The first screening for
the general public was held in Thessaloniki, a city with 2300 years of history and culture,
on the 4th of July 1897, only one and a half-year after the Lumiere brothers£
historic screening at the TMGrand Caféi in Paris. TheTMThessaloniki Museum of
Cinemai is an independent part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and is run
in accordance with Law 2557/1997 (article 4, paragraph 2). Legislation allowing for
the founding of the museum was published in Government Paper 271/(Issue 1) on the
24th of December 1997. The Museum operates under the supervision of the Greek
Ministry of Culture. According to its charter, the Thessaloniki Museum of Cinema exists
to collect, preserve and display cinematographic artifacts in Greece. For that purpose,
the museum organizes educational and research programs in collaboration with others
museums to study and document any artifacts in some way related to the cinema.
The State Museum of Contemporary Art
The museum was established in 1997 and since then it has done a lot of progress, 
confirming its serious institutional character and laying the foundation for major projects.
A new era started since the acquisition of the George Costakis Collection that consists
of Russian avant-garde art works. A great number of temporary exhibitions, parallel
events to the permanent exhibition of the George Costakis Collection at the Moni Lazariston,
educational and research programs, books editing and important international
collaborations -all these activities place the State Museum of Contemporary Art in the
framework of the major international contemporary art museums. The new website
enhances this international role of our Museum, intending to promote its activities
all around the world.
The Crypt of Aghios Demetrios
(Tel: +30 2310-270591)
The crypt of Aghios Demetrios has been an archaeological site since its discovery 
in 1918. After 1950, some of the sculptures that survived the great fire of 1917,
were transfered by S. Palakanides in the area of the fountain in an effort to remodel
the whole place. In the years 1985-1988, excavations were conducted in the north
part of the Crypt, and its remains were restored. An exhibition was organized,
including the excavation finds as well as the antiquities that were rescued from
the catastrophic fire. A pamphlet on the exhibition has already been published,
but a proper guide book to the museum is now in preparation. The museum
contains early Christian sculptures of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries found in the church,
Byzantine sculpture from the church, dated to the 11th-14th centuries, and various
excavation finds (coins, pottery), dated to the 5th-14th centuries. The most important
exhibits of the museum are: The fountain of the holy water and holy oil, which is
connected with the cult of Saint Demetrios. Three phases are distinguished,
dated to the 4th, 6th and 12-13th centuries, respectively. The reconstructed ambo
(pulpit) of the church, dated to the 6th century. In the 7th century it was built in
the wall where it is still exhibited. Two small early Christian pillars from the sanctuary.
Dated to the 5th century A.D. Fragments of the decorative elements of a burial
monument. Dated to the 14th century. Architectural sculptures (columns, parapets etc.),
belonging to the first architectural phase of the church. Dated to the 5th century 
A.D. Mosaic votive inscription. It was part of the decoration of the church that was
destroyed by the fire in 1917. Fragments of icons of the Holy Virgin. They were
part of the relief decoration of the church, dated to the 11th and 12th centuries.
Fragments from the altar ciborium. Dated to the 13th century A.D. Fragments of
middle Byzantine sarcophagi. Corinthianizing capitals from the first architectural
phase of the church.
Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia - Thrace
(68 Vas.Olgas Str. 546 42 Thessaloniki, Tel: +30 2310-889840,830591,
Åmail: lemm-th@otenet.gr)
The Museum owes its existence to the Macedonian Educational Association
(Constantinople 1871-1922, Thessaloniki 1924 and on). In 1931 the President
if the Association, Yannis Taris (1885-1968), proposed the creation of a "folklore section"
and began to collect and assemble material.The result was the Folklife Museum
of Northern Greece, which was founded in 1957 as a private entity. In 1958 Y.Taris
was succeeded as President by Konstantinos Kefalas (1898-1989), who zealously
pursued the work of expanding, recording and exhibiting the original collection.
In 1970 the Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia was founded as a public
entity and in 1971 it was placed under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.
The three-storey building then known as the "Old Governor's House" was ceded to
the institution and the M.E.A made over its collection to the new Museum,
which was inaugurated in 18/2/1973. In 1986 the superintendence of the Museum
passed to the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace, and was returned to the Ministry of
Culture in 2001. In 1993 the Museum was renamed the Folklife and Ethnological
Museum of Macedonia-Thrace as its compass was extended to include Thrace.
The building in which the Museum is housed was designed and built for banker
Yako Modiano by architect Eli Modiano. It is a fine example of the eclectic style,
with obvious French influences, its most striking feature being a two-storey loggia 
on the western side facing the sea. In 1913 it was bought by the state, made over to
the royal family and used as the residence of the Governor-General of Macedonia.
Later, it housed the Military Medical School and the Theological Seminary.
When in 1970 the use of the building was made over to the Museum, the work of
repair and conservation and of the creation of exhibition areas was promptly set in
hand, in accordance with plans designed by Professor Nikolaos Moutsopoulos of
the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In 1980 the building and its courtyard were
declared listed monuments. In 1995, after some minor repairs and interventions,
the 4th Ephorate of Modern Monuments began a rehabilitation programme to
adapt the building to the requirements of a modern museum.The project was
funded by the European Union, the "Thessaloniki 1997" Cultural Capital of Europe
Organisation and the Ministry of Culture. The Museum's collections
(gifts and purchases) today include more than 20.000 items, mostly from Macedonia
and Thrace: local costumes and jewellery, textiles, embroideries, tools and utensils
in all sorts of materials, furniture, traditional musical instruments, traditional shadow
theater figures and sets - tangible mementoes of everyday life. 
Macedonian Museum of modern art of Thessaloniki
(HELEXPO-Inter. Fair of Thessaloniki, P.O.Box 546 36, Tel: +30 2310-471545)
The Macedonian Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1979. The nucleus of its
collection was constituted by the donation of Alexander Iolas (30 works of artists
of Greek and international renown), and that of Franz Geierhaas (220 engravings),
as well as by the donation of the artists: R. Raynaud, D. Kokkinides, K. Varotsos,
I. Molfesis, and others. The collection also includes Oppenheim's sheet-iron sculpture,
entitled "Explosions", a top-ranking example of modern sculpture, the engraving
by Warhol entitled "Alexandra", the bronze sculpture by Finotti entitled "Man",
and others. At the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art are also, of course, 
exhibited works by Greek artists, such as Takis, Costas Tsoklis,
Yiannis Bouteas, Dimitris Alitheinos, Giorgos Lazongas, Alexis Akrithakis,
Pavlos, Zoumbouli-Graikou, G. Tzivelos, Opy Zouni, Paniaras and others.
The painting by Yiannis Moralis, entitled "Erotiko" (1990) has recently been
added to this collection. During the 16 years of the Museum's operation it has
organized over 30 art shows.
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
(6 Ag. Sophias St. Thessaloniki, Tel: +30 2310-229778)
The building was constructed at the end of the 19th century on plans drawn 
by Hernest Ziller. In 1984 it was rented to the Greek General Consulate and in
1923 it was alloted to the Diocese of St. Gregory Palamas. Until the 1978
earthquake, it had been housing several elementary schools and after
it was restored and operated again as a Museum of the Macedonian Struggle.
This cube-shaped two-storied building with the elevated basement, is covered by
a four-fold roof. Its ground plan is organized typically with a central
staircase and rooms at each side. The facet's structure is characterized by
absolute symmetry while the distinct morphologic elements of the building give
it neoclassical features.
MUNICIPAL ART GALLERY OF THESSALONIKI
(Vas. Olgas 162, Thessaloniki Zip Code 54646, Tel. +30 2310-425 531)
In December 1986 the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki moved into its new
quarters in a building located at 162 Queen Olga Street, at the corner of 25th
of St. Built in 1905 by architect Xenophon Paionidis, and now the property of the
Municipality, it is fine example of the eclectic style of architecture that flourished 
in Thessaloniki, especially in the then suburban district known as "the Towers"
or "the Villas", at the turn of the century. The older residents of the city know it
as the "Villa Mordoch", from the name of the family who occupied it from
1930 - 1940. The building is distinctive for its rich mixture of elements drawn
from the Neo-classical, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles, and
which vary from one facade to the next, thus accentuating the pluralism of the
structure. Also of interest is the decorative paintwork of the interior - well preserved
in certain rooms - as well as the woodcarving.
The Teloglion Foundation of Art
(159A, St. Dimitriou str., tel: +30 2310-991610)
The Teloglion Foundation of Art was founded in 1972 with the donation of the art
collection as well as the entire property of Nestor and Aliki Telloglou to the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki. The collection formed the core of the Foundation
which was later enriched with the donation of the art collection of Toni and Ioanna Spiteris,
the donation of the rich archival material of Giorgos Mourelos and recently the donation
of the fine art collection of Demetrios Tsamis. Since December 1999, the Foundation 
has been installed in its permanent facilities at an advantageous site at the upper
part of the University campus in a building whose design resulted from an architectural
contest. The Teloglion Foundation of Art is a non-profit organization. Its mission is the
multisided support of research and studies about art, as well as the broader
familiarization of the public with art. The works of Greek artists of the
19th and 20th centuries, an important part of the museum's collections, define our
direction which is the study and promotion of contemporary Greek art to specialists
as well as the wider audience. The study, the electronic documentation and the
accessibility of the museum's artworks are the first steps towards the advancement
of research. At the same time, the organization of conferences or seminars, the hosting
and exchange of specialists, the cooperation with other institutions with similar
objectives in Greece and abroad and the communication of the current art research
findings and achievements are among the main goals of the museum. 
The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
(Port of Thessaloniki, Apotheke A', tel: +30 2310-566716)
The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography is the only photography museum in
Greece. Its goals include organising exhibitions and publications, supporting
historical research and criticism on the subject of Greek photography, creating an
updated library with titles and documents of Greek and international photographic
literature, as well as enriching its collection with donations and purchases of
historical and contemporary photographic works by Greek and foreign photographers. 
Also included in its goals is the presentation of lectures and the creation of
educational programmes aimed at endowing the Greek audience with photographic
learning. Particular emphasis is laid on the curation of original exhibitions
and publications that study and promote aspects of contemporary Greek photographic
artwork. Background: In 1987, Aris Georgiou, Apostolos Maroulis and Yiannis Vanidis
founded the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, setting out to create a first
collection of photographs and laying the foundations for the creation of a photography
museum. The following year, in 1988, Aris Georgiou launched the first Photosynkyria,
the city's annual international photography festival. In 1995, the Organisation
for the Cultural Capital of Europe, Thessaloniki 1997, proceeded to found the
Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, setting up an administrative committee
under the chairmanship of Giorgos Katsangelos. In 1997, under the ministry
of Evangelos Venizelos, the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography was established
by law and finally came into existence during the following year, with Giorgos
Makris as its president and Aris Georgiou as its first director. In December 2001,
it was housed in its current premises, in Warehouse A at the Port of Thessaloniki. |
