Thematic Guided Tours

The Cycladic Art Collection is on the first floor of the permanent collections which opened to the public in 1986. The Collection includes a large number of exceptional artefacts, such us marble figurines, some of the earliest bronze objects in the Aegean, clay vessels used in everyday life or for ritual purposes, most of which are dated in the 3rd millennium BC. The visitor will discover the Cycladic Civilization with representative examples of abstract marble figurines, which have deeply influenced many modern artists, such as Constantin Brancusi, Amedeo Modigliani, Henry Moore etc.

Explore one of the greatest private collections of Early Cycladic Art worldwide. In the Museum’s Cycladic Collection the visitor has the chance admire works of art characterized by a dazzling simplicity, direct carving and minimalism. Artifacts created at the dawn of the Aegean civilization. Discover centuries of history through the Collection of Ancient Greek Art, with antiquities dating from the 2nd millennium BC to the 4rt century AD. The exhibits cover a large chronological spectrum from the 4th millennium BC to the Byzantine Period.

Wine is considered a major cultural factor and indicator, offering pleasure, entertainment, collective identity of political prestige. It was a powerful weapon in the hands of those who controlled its distribution. The roots of viticulture can be traced back to the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic period (5.000 BC), while during the 5th and 4th c. BC the Symposium became a very important social institution in Greek societies and one of the greatest means of socialization.

High quality vessels were produced for Dionysus’ precious gift. The visitor will discover the history and the development of viticulture over the centuries and the crucial role of wine in ritual practices.

Keros is a barren, uninhabited island between Amorgos and Koufonisia in the Cyclades. During the 3rd millennium BC Keros was in the center of a great network of multiple activities.

On the western part of the island, a large number of broken figurines and vessels has been found. The study of the enigmatic group evidenced that they were deliberately broken in antiquity.

Visitors are invited into a tour in time and space: the tour starts from the world of the supernatural (gods) and the myth (heroes), goes through the realm of Eros, follows the activities of everyday women and men in their private and public life, explores their religious beliefs, and concludes with their attitudes against death and their beliefs about afterlife and the Underworld. One hundred forty two objects – mostly dating to the Classical and Hellenistic periods (5th-1st c. BC) – are grouped in nine separate units treating the following thematic areas:

Gods and Heroes | On the wings of Eros | Toiletry and wedding | Female activities | Athletics | The Symposium | In the Athenian Agora | Warfare | Taking care of the deceased

The thematic guided tours are led by the Museum’s professional archaeologists and are offered in Greek and English language.

The approximate maximum duration of each tour is 60′.

In-person and virtual tours are offered within and outside the Museum’s working hours upon request.

CONTACT
Dionysis Sakellarios
Corporate Events & Private Tours Coordinator
T: (0030) 210 7228321-3 (ext. 150)
Ε: dsakellarios@cycladic.gr