“At archaeology school, we were told that if you squeeze a myth hard enough, you can extract at least one piece of historical truth,” our guide, Eva Koureta muses, as we kick off our tour.
An awful lot of squeezing goes into the next three hours, as we explore this building that’s been ranked one of the world’s Top Ten museums, thanks to its ground-breaking architecture, design and ancient inventory.
First, we discuss the Acropolis hill’s rich and often brutal history. Invasions come and go in a dizzying blur (Persian, Roman, Ottoman, Venetian…). Each time, the structure that topped the Sacred Rock—as it’s known to Greeks—was flattened or pillaged. Or both.
We talk kingship, aristocracy, tyranny and, finally, democracy until we get to Pericles, the visionary statesman who reconstructed Athens after the 5th century BC Persian invasion. It was Pericles who added a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena—and so many of the other structures we marvel at today. Or rather tonight.
Courtesy: Acropolis Museum
Ancient Athens comes to life
Walking up the Slopes of the Acropolis, the museum’s first gallery, takes you deeper into ancient Athens with every step. Perhaps it’s the historical context we’ve just gleaned, or perhaps it’s our guide’s enthusiasm for the objects excavated almost underfoot. Or maybe we have embarked on our own Night at the Museum and the place is beginning to come to life (just like in the Hollywood version).
Eva tells us all about a kylix, the wide-rimmed cup used for drinking wine in antiquity, “but always mixed with water, because wine-drinking was for philosophical discussions… and only barbarians drank undiluted wine”. I can almost hear the marble Pericles nearby, arms folded, tutting in my direction.
The archaeological excavation of the museum.
Courtesy: The Acropolis Museum. Photo by Nikos Daniilidis.
On we go, through the statues of the Archaic Period, from the 7th century BC to the end of the Persian Wars (449 BC). Okay, they don’t move but they do come to life in other ways. In a room designed so that the effect of natural light is central to the visitor experience, it’s fascinating how the darkness outside allows you to imagine the original colours of the statues even more vividly. Blue, red, green, yellow—even white was derived from a natural pigment and set with egg yolk or honey. “If an ancient Greek visited the museum, they’d scream ‘PAINT THEM!’” declares Eva.
Courtesy: Acropolis Museum
Tales of the Acropolis
History, mythology, culture, art, fashion…. you choose the slant of the tour and Eva will oblige. But there are certain highlights nobody can miss. The Caryatids - those dignified female figures propping up the porch of the Erechtheion (a temple on the north side of the Acropolis)—are a splendid spectacle. The empty circle left for the missing Caryatid, contentiously taken by Lord Elgin (along with nearly half the 150-metre marble frieze around the Parthenon) and sold to the British Museum in the early 19th century, is a masterful silent protest.
Model reconstructions allow you to gawp at the detail of ancient stonework. And you could spend a good hour studying the Lego reconstruction of the Acropolis complex—all 200,000 pieces of it. (Look closely, there’s Theseus being chased by the Minotaur and Elton John performing at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus).
Courtesy: Acropolis Museum
Less is more (except for the Parthenon Frieze)
Everyone ends up at the top-floor Parthenon Gallery. Designed to mirror the Parthenon, it affords a perfect view of its subject and you can walk around the entire Parthenon frieze (part originals and part cast replicas).
Courtesy: Acropolis Museum
“Sometimes, it’s not what you add, but what you take away,” says Eva, as we look out at the illuminated Parthenon across the way and reflect on how much more dramatic the museum feels by night. “If you take away daylight, you remove the cars and buildings of modern Athens and are left with just the Parthenon. You are instantly transported to antiquity.”
Top tip: The museum’s restaurant, in which you enjoy a complimentary drink, is open until midnight and there’s a live jazz band on Fridays, so make a night of it.
Courtesy: Acropolis Museum
What’s the verdict?
The Acropolis Museum is one of the great museums of the world. By day or night, it’s hard not to enjoy it. But a personalised night tour definitely brings the museum to life in different ways.
- Duration: 3 hours (7-10 pm, every Friday).
- Cost: From €66 per person (for a group of 8), including a drink.
- Time: 19.00 (suggested)