Not only is it the biggest museum in the country, it also houses the largest collection of greek artifacts in the world. You can find it right in the middle of Athens, in Patision Street. It takes up a whole block and its neoclassical style is the work of Ludwig Lange and Ernst Ziller. Even though the Museum has been open to the public since 1881, there have been several wings added to the building, due to the multitude of archaeological finds arriving from all over the country. It only settled into a permanent shape and size in 1939.

The collection of the National Archaeological Museum is divided in six different categories: the Prehistoric collection, the Sculpture collection, the Bronze collection, the Egyptian Art collection, the Pottery and Minor Art collection and the Stathatos collection.

The Prehistoric collections are the first thing visitors see after they cross the monumental entrance and pass the ticket counter. They take up three central halls on the main floor (halls 3 - 6) as well as one on the first floor (hall 48). Since the purpose of this museum is to guide visitors through the different phases of greek culture in the correct chronological order, it would be better to start with hall 5 as opposed to hall 6, even though that one is much more impressive. In hall 5 you will find the Neolithic collection, the oldest one in the whole Museum. The exhibits date back to a period beginning in 6800 and ending in 3300 B.C. They mostly come from the excavations of the two largest Neolithic settlements in Greece, Sesklo and Dimini in Thessaly. Hall 5 also contains the next chronological phase, from 3300 to 2000 B.C., with archaeological finds from Orchomenos, Rafina, Agios Kosmas, Lemnos and Troy.

Next comes hall 6, housing the Museum’s Cycladic collection, where visitors can admire exhibits from a civilization that prospered solely in the Cycladic Islands from 3000 to 1100 B.C. There are many characteristic specimens of the famous Cycladic figurines on show, like the exquisite harp - player of Keros and the largest remaining piece of the period, a figurine 152 cm tall, straight from Amorgos. Other items of great interest are the flat earthenware pots with early engraved representations of ships in the Aegean Sea, famous for confusing specialists as to their use.

Upon entering hall 4 visitors are immediately blinded by an overwhelming golden glow: this is where the Mycenaean collection (1600 - 1100 B.C.) is exhibited, taking up the most central hall of the Museum, and rightly so. One can’t help but think of the great German archaeologist Schliemann, who was the first to draw attention to the Mycenaean civilization, proving that Homer was not just a fairytale. All of his impressive finds are assembled right here, complete with latter discoveries from Mycenae, Tyrins, Pilos, Vafeio e.t.c. Most of the exhibits are funeral gifts (precious vessels that accompanied the dead on their journey to the other side) found in princely graves. The treasures of hall 4 are countless and go beyond any human imagination. There are golden masks that belonged to mycenaean noblemen, bronze weapons with gold and silver decorations inlaid in bands of niello depicting hunting scenes, golden cups with embossed representations of bull chasing, golden diadems and ringstones, ivory miniatures, Linear B tablets and the world-famous crater of the warriors, depicting the marine force of the Mycenaeans.

The tour of the prehistoric exhibits is concluded with a visit to hall 48 on the first floor, especially dedicated to Akrotiri, the legendary settlement in Santorini that was buried under tons of lava in 1825 B.C. This is where you can find some of its most famous frescos, like those of the fisherman, the boxing children, the naval fleet and many more. After finishing off the Prehistoric collections, visitors can go back to the entrance of the Museum and begin with the next thematic unit, the Sculpture collection. It’s one of the largest in the world, exhibited in a total of thirty halls, and it contains finds from the Archaic period (7th century B.C.) to the Roman times.

The exhibition unravels in a roundabout way, starting in hall 7, left of the entrance. All of the pieces here belong to the first phase of monumental sculpture and date back to the 7th century B.C. The oriental influences are quite evident here, preparing the visitor for the mature Archaic order that comes next. The most impressive statue is the one of Naxia Nikandri, found in the island of Delos.

Halls 8 to 13 contain exhibits from the early Archaic period (620 - 480 B.C.), mostly statues of kouri and kores, idealized images either of deceased young men and women or worshipers of Apollo, often in supernatural size. Those still, stereotype figures capture the eternal and immutable essence of human existence that does not allow for the expression of individual personal characteristics. There are a lot of famous pieces to be seen here, like the kouros of Sounion, the kouros of Bolomandra, the kouros of Milo, the kouros of Kea and the kori Frasiklea from Attica, admittedly the most beautiful specimen in the whole collection. After seeing all these statues in chronological order, visitors will have a better understanding of the evolution of greek art - which is nothing but a continuous advance towards naturalism. The latter series of kouri do not display such a strong tendency towards stereotype, as though trying to brake free from their shackles. The advance towards a more naturalistic depiction of the human figure becomes even clearer in the next two halls (14 -15), which contain specimens from the early Classical Era (480 - 450 B.C.). All the statues from this period give off an impression of self- restraint and idealism, but their posture seems to be much more relaxed and their ‘movements’ more fluid. This is where you can find the Museum’s most famous exhibit, the exquisite bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon, retrieved from under the sea near Artemisio, in Euboea. It dates back to 460 B.C. and many experts attribute the piece to Kalamis, one of the most famous sculptors of his time.

In the next five halls (16 -20) classical art reaches what many consider its peak. During the Age of Pericles, Athens played an important part in arts and politics and all the sculptures you’ll see here belong to the same period as the Parthenon. Naturally we assume that some were made by the same artists. Grave steles make their appearance again and there are several new kinds of tombs, like the relief lecythus. In these halls you will have the chance to admire the grave stele of Hegeso found in the cemetery of Kerameikos, the relief from Phaleron depicting the abduction of the bride by Echelos, the grave lecythus of Mirini and the amazing stele of the young man from Salamis, just to name a few of the most renowned pieces. In halls 19 and 20 the exhibits are roman copies of famous sculptures from the Classical Era. Luckily there’ s also a miniature of the gold and ivory statue of Athena that used to be worshiped in the Parthenon, giving us some idea of what the real thing used to look like.

The following two halls (21 and 34) are right in the middle of the sculpture collection. The chronological chain of the exhibition is momentarily broken, because there are pieces from several different periods assembled here. One can admire the statue of the diadoumenos (crowned athlete), or more precisely one of its many roman copies, a very famous piece from the 5th century B.C. attributed to the sculptor Polykleitos. Another popular statue is the jockey of Artemision, a piece of natural proportions, possibly belonging to the Hellenistic period (2nd century B.C). This one was also found underwater near Artemisio in Euboea, just like the statue of Poseidon that was mentioned earlier. The chronological sequence is once again restored in hall 22, which is dedicated to the architectural sculptures of the temple of Aesculapius in Epidaurus, placed in the early 4th century B.C. The female figures riding on horses are said to be the Auras, the acroteria (corner ornaments) of that same temple. There are many grave steles from the 4th century B.C. in halls 23 and 24, only now they’re bigger and much more impressive and the relief representations protrude so much that it looks like the figures are trying to break away from their marble background.

Halls 25, 26 and 27 are exclusively for funerary and votive reliefs. The first ones are dedications by worshipers or city officials to different sanctuaries and the second ones are public notifications of government decisions, meant to honor the city benefactors or the alliance treaties between two cities. From the first category the ones that stand out the most are the reliefs in honor of Aesculapius and the goat-footed Pan, a rural deity that was already becoming popular in the big cities. In the adjoining hall (28) visitors can find sculptures from the latter Classical Era, mostly attic funerary monuments. The sea rewarded the Museum with two more copper prototypes, the youth from Antikythera, possibly Perseus, and the boy from Marathon, which some specialists claim to be the work of Praxiteles.

The two halls that come next (29 - 30) are dedicated to sculpture from the Hellenistic period (323 - 31B.C.). During those times there was an effort to expand the reign of the heirs of Alexander the Great, resulting in some new tendencies in sculpture. The most obvious one is the baroque style, whose influences are evident on many pieces, like the statue of Poseidon from Milos or the wounded Galatian from Delos. Visitors can also admire the marble Group of Aphrodite and Pan, a sculpture in rococo style from the 1st century B.C.

The last three halls of the Museum’s sculpture collection contain exhibits from the Roman times. During this period, art had become an instrument of imperial propaganda but there are still some wonderful portraits to be seen, as well as a few statues of significant personalities.

The next thematic unit of the Museum is the Bronze collection, exhibited in halls 36 - 39, at the end of the main hallway on the right. This collection is composed of miniature sculptures, the majority of which are dedications to the great sanctuaries of the time, and they cover a period beginning in the 7th century and ending in the 5th century B.C. Among the different exhibits visitors can admire elaborately decorated mirrors, statues of Zeus, Pan and Athena, and more importantly the world famous astrolabe (known as the Antikythera Mechanism), an extremely complicated bronze apparatus that was used for astronomical and calendar calculations, no doubt the forerunner of portable computers.

In halls 40 and 41 there is a small but significant collection of egyptian art, donated to the Archaeological Museum by Ioannis Dimitriou and Alexandros Rostovic. It covers a huge chronological breadth from the predynastic Egypt to the period of the Roman conquest (5000 B.C. - 300 A.D.) The Pottery and Minor Art collection is exhibited in halls 49 - 56 on the first floor, offering visitors a panorama of greek ceramics from 900 to the 4th century B.C. Different orders are separated in different groups: in the first two halls there are ceramics from the Geometric Age, named after the geometrical patterns decorating the most representative pots of the period. The most predominant pieces are the large black - figure craters and amphorae, bearing representations of funeral processions and lament. Most of these pots used to be funerary monuments. Halls 50 and 51 contain pots of oriental order from Argos, Achaia, Santorini, Paros, Crete, Rhodes and Thasos. It is plain to see that during this phase the geometrical patterns of the past decade have given way to the human form, which starts appearing in greater scale, more natural and colorful than ever before. During this period, art in Greece becomes anthropocentric and the first representations of mythological scenes make their appearance on several pieces.

In halls 53 and 54 visitors can admire pots of the so-called black-figure order, which dominated ceramic art in Greece for the best part of the 6th century B.C. The human figure is predominant and mythological scenes, as well as episodes of daily life, become the basic decorative themes. This is the time when the painters - undoubtedly proud of their work - began to sign their names. Among the different exhibits one can spot signatures of famous artists, like Lidos, Nearchos and Exechias.

Hall 54 is home to the first specimens of the red - figure order that gradually began to replace the outdated black - figure order in 530 B.C. and would later dominate the next two centuries. At the same time the pots themselves, with their elegant lines and fine style, started acquiring artistic value that went beyond their decoration - especially those used in symposiums like the craters. The last two halls (55 - 56) contain vessels of the red - figure order (5th - 4th century B.C.) and white lecythus pots with death scenes on them.

Paying them a visit will help you understand the evolution of shapes and patterns in those two centuries of ceramic production. The figures are not so still anymore and they seem to become more relaxed and natural as they go, until they reach their peak in the 4th century. There are also some special categories of pots that present great interest, like the panathenaic amphorae that athletes were given as trophies, bearing representations of the winner’s sport of choice. Another category includes pieces with caricatures painted on them, a parody of the high - minded style and elegant themes of famous artists that could be considered the forerunners of today’s comics.

The tour of the Museum comes to an end with the Stathatos collection in hall 42. It consists of 970 pieces, donated by Eleni Stathatou, mostly minor art with a special emphasis on golden jewelry from all periods. The immense size of the Museum makes it impossible for visitors to see it all in one day. Even the museum guards themselves admit that one needs a whole day for the Mycenaean collection alone. That of course depends on the special interests of each person, but I think that an initial contact with the Museum can be established in 3 three - hour long visits. It is important that visitors follow the route we just described so that they won’t be confused about the period each exhibit belongs to, and how it fits into the chronological sequence of greek art. The only reason I insist is because during high season the Museum is full of people who have gotten lost in the maze of vast halls, desperately trying to get out, not having understood one single thing about the evolution of greek culture. In cases like these the exhibits are nothing but a worthless parade of disparate ancient objects. In the basement of the Museum you can buy copies and plastercasts of representative pieces from each period along with a large catalogue, and then relax at the coffee shop you’ll find in the inner yard. It is worth mentioning that the National Archaeological Museum is one of the few establishments that offer full facilities for the handicapped.