MARGARITA POURNARA

What are the options for art buffs who have chosen to remain in Athens over the long Easter weekend? Unfortunately, they will not be able to visit the interesting exhibition of works by Lucas Samaras on display at the National Gallery, as the gallery has closed for the holidays and will reopen on the Tuesday after Easter, a poorly timed decision since a lot of people will have free time this weekend.

The rest of the capital's major museums have altered their schedules so that those interested can still visit. The Byzantine and Christian Museum is open today from noon to 5 p.m. and will also be open tomorrow from 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (its usual Saturday times). The same applies to ethnologist Nikos Papageorgiou's exhibition «Decorated Easter Eggs from all over the World,» housed in the museum and which runs to May 3.

Those wishing to see Nikos Nikolaou's exhibition at the Benaki Museum in Kolonaki must note that the museum is open noon to 5 p.m. today and will also be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow. The museum will then close until Wednesday. The New Wing of the Benaki Museum, currently hosting an exhibition of ceramics by Gerd Knapper as well as an exhibition of rare tools, is open noon to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and will also reopen on Wednesday. The same applies to the Museum of Islamic Art, except for tomorrow, when it will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, hosting works by Korean artist Kim Sooja, is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. tonight and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow. It will remain closed over Easter Sunday and Monday. The Frissiras Museum is closed until May 11, when it will reopen with a retrospective exhibition of works by artist Yiannis Valavanidis.

The Museum of Cycladic Art, which has on display some of the most beautiful items discovered at the Cretan site of Eleutherna, is closed today, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It will only be open tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We have kept the best surprise for the very last: The National Archaeological Museum is open noon to 5 p.m. today and 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow. It will remain closed on Sunday, but will be open Monday, 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m.