Thessaloniki museum gets new sections
The Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki is probably one of this country’s most interesting museums, not just because of its rare contents but also because of its intriguing architecture (it was designed by the late architect Kyriakos Krokos) and the engaging display of its permanent collection. The exhibition moves along both chronologically and in terms of subject matter beginning from the Early Christian times to late Byzantium. Two sections were lately added to the display: «Byzantium after Byzantium: The Byzantine Heritage in the Years after the Fall of Constantinople» focuses on religious art produced after 1453 and up to the 19th century in the Turkish or Venetian-ruled areas of Greece. It includes icons (some impressive religious paintings of the so-called Cretan school), liturgical textiles, books and ecclesiastical silverware. It also makes separate reference to the flourishing monasticism of Macedonia, the veneration of the neo-martyrs and the art of engraving. The visit at the museum ends with the second section, also a recent addition to the museum’s display. «Discovering the Past» informs the viewer of the process that begins with the discovery of a find at an excavation site all through its analysis and exhibition as a museum find. The exhibition includes documentary material and aims at familiarizing the viewer with how archaeologists and historians study the past. Both sections complete the display of the permanent exhibition and demonstrate the excellent work that has gone into making the visit to the museum an unusual and gratifying experience. Museum of Byzantine Culture, 2 Stratou Avenue, tel 2310.868.570, Thessaloniki.
