National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum will, unfortunately, not be completely ready to receive visitors at the time of the Olympic Games this summer. Even though it, along with the Acropolis, will be among the most popular destinations for thousands of visitors, only one section will be open to the public. Work on modernizing the museum was delayed from the offset and even became mired in a lengthy court battle with a construction company. A basement level envisaged in the original reconstruction plans never made it off the drawing board, while it is also doubtful whether the museum will be prepared to redisplay all of its works. There is, however, a trace of hope that the museum’s main display halls, showing sculptures and the prehistoric collection, will be operational by the time of the Games, but the first floor, which suffered extensive damage as a result of the 1999 earthquake, will definitely remain off limits. ‘Agon’ show in summer In fact, the only thing that is certain is that the hall which usually hosts periodic exhibitions will this summer be showing «Agon,» an exhibition dedicated to the Olympic spirit and composed of 230 exquisite items of antiquity dating from prehistoric to Roman times.
