Thessaloniki Byzantine Museum

Location: Egnatia
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki is located on Stratou Avenue in the city center, just opposite the park of Pedion Areos. It is housed in a contemporary building designed by award-winning architect and painter Kyriakos Krokos. The building is considered one of the best works of public architecture in modern Greece, characterized by its concrete and brick exterior, and its enclosed courtyard. Inside, 11 total galleries host interesting permanent exhibitions that transport visitors to the vibrant world of the Byzantine Empire.

In 1913, a decree was issued by the Governor General of Macedonia, Stephanos Dragoumis, ordering the establishment of a “Central Byzantine Museum” in Thessaloniki. However, the decision was not implemented and the exhibits meant to be featured there were transferred to the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens. However, in 1975 interest in the creation of the museum was renewed, and by 1994, over 80 years since the original decree, the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki was inaugurated. Till 2004, all 11 rooms of the museum had been completed. A year later, it was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize 2005.

The first exhibition is about the architecture and decoration of a church in the Early Christian or Protobyzantine period (4th to 7th century). It showcases decorative items, liturgical vessels, wall paintings, marble revetments, and mosaics from Agios Dimitrios Church and the church of Panagia Acheropoietos. The second exhibition is centered around the triclinium, the reception hall of a traditional rich house in Thessaloniki. It also presents the economic, commercial, and social structure of a Paleochristian town. The third exhibition presents the cemeteries in paleochristian times, with paintings, vessels, and jewelry found in such excavations. The next room deals with topics like monkhood, iconoclasm, and the life of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

The fifth gallery displays the Byzantine dynasties from the times of Heraclious (610-641) until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, while the sixth focuses on the organization and daily life in a Byzantine castle. A series of wall paintings, marble reliefs, and rare icons are featured in the 7th gallery, dedicated to the late Byzantine period. In the next two rooms, you will find parts of the Dori Papastratos and Demetrios Oikonomopoulos collections, with many representative works of painting, pottery, coinage, and copper art. Finally, the 10th gallery represents the Byzantine legacy in the area after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the 11th gallery serves as an “epilogue” to the exhibition and informs visitors of the history of the museum itself.

Since the opening of the museum, a variety of temporary exhibitions have also been held. Those have included displays of old photographs, modern art, literary pieces, and historical texts. The museum also frequently organizes various events, including music festivals, concerts, and book presentations, as well as educational programs addressed to students of elementary and secondary school. What is more, seven different conservation workshops are housed inside its walls, each fully equipped and specialized in a specific kind of archaeological material, wood, icons, ceramics, mural paintings, mosaics, and others.

Opening hours
April to October: Every day from 08:00 to 20:00, except for Tuesday when it is open from 13:00 to 20:00.
November to March: Every day from 08:30 to 15:30.