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Volume II, Number 2 February 1st, 2001
deTraci Regula
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The Egyptian Collection 44 Patission Exarcheia area GR - Athens 10682 (Greece) Phone: +30-1-8217717, 8217724 Fax: +30-1-8213573
Near the Omonia Station on the Metro. Hours: July 1st - Oct 31st 12:30pm to 6:45 pm Mondays 8am-7pm Tuesday-Sunday Hours: Nov 1st- March 31st 10:30am-5pm Mondays, 8:30am-3pm Tuesday-Sunday
Tickets: 2000 drachma general admission 1000 drachma for youths under 18, European Union senior citizens over 65, EU and many other university students. Free admission Sundays between November and March, and on some holidays. Unlike many other sites, the museum is open most holidays.
Museum Website: http://www.culture.gr/2/21/214/21405m/e21405m1.html
Egyptian collection page: http://www.culture.gr/2/21/214/21405m/e21405m6.html
Often neglected in the rush to see the outstanding collection of Greek antiquities, this museum also possesses a less-heralded but satisfying Egyptian Collection of 280 objects selected from over 4000 possessed by the museum. While most of the objects displayed are not exceptional, the sheer quantity is cheering and highlights include a charming rose granite statue of the royal scribe Rahotep from Sakkara, an array of scarabs and small objects, funerary equipment, and an early carving of a hippopotamus. There are also a few Fayum portraits, vases, and statues. Virtually all periods are represented by an object or two.
My own visit here several years ago was brief, and like most, I heard of it by accident and then flew up the central stairs after already spending several hours viewing the magnificent collection of Greek art below. It was a bit of a "culture shock" in its truest sense, but it was also intriguing to be able to easily compare traces of possible Egyptian influence on the large, early statues of the kouroi downstairs and other objects throughout the museum. While the subject of Egyptian influence on Greek art and culture is a controversial one today, many of the ancient Greeks themselves were happy to claim an Egyptian connection, whether or not it was a well-founded one.
Of interest to some will be several Graeco-Roman period representations of the Egyptian deity Isis, in the Roman period rooms. The image of the sistrum-bearing Isian priestess Alexandra is particularly delightful.
To get the most out of your visit, keep an eye out for Tzachou-Alexandri's The World of Egypt in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens (Kapon Editions, 1995), as the standard guidebooks available for the museum generally omit the Egyptian collection entirely.
For information on Greek travel, please visit my Greece for Visitors website at http://gogreece.about.com.
The Queens of Egypt, Part I By Dr. Sameh Arab The Ancient Egyptian Scribe By Ilene Springer Editor's Commentary By Jimmy Dunn Ancient Beauty Secrets By Judith Illes Book Reviews Various Editors Kid's Corner By Margo Wayman Cooking with Tour Egypt By Mary K Radnich Hotel Reviews By Juergen Stryjak Egyptian Exhibitions By deTraci Regula Egyptian View-Point By Adel Murad Nightlife Various Editors Restaurant Reviews Various Editors Shopping Around By Juergen Stryjak Web Reviews By Siri Bezdicek
Last Updated: June 6th, 2011
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