Description of the attraction
The Museum of Greek Folk Art is a State Museum of Greece under the jurisdiction of the Greek Ministry of Culture. The museum was founded in 1918 in the Tsisdaraki mosque and was called the "Museum of Greek Handicrafts". In 1923 the museum was renamed the National Museum of Decorative Arts. The museum received its current name only in 1959.
In 1973, the main collection and main funds were transferred to the new building of the museum, located in the oldest district of Athens, Plaka, along Kidatinon Street. A branch of the museum remained in the Tsisdaraki Mosque; here is a collection of Kyriazopoulos' folk art of pottery. You can also visit the branches of the museum on Kirrestu Street (the only surviving public baths) and Tespidos Street, both of which are also located in the Plaka area. Another branch of the museum was recently opened on Panos Street, where a collection of tools of labor of various professions is exhibited.
The collection presented in the museum covers all areas of folk art. These are embroidery and knitting, national costumes collected from all over Greece, and a collection of shadow theater puppets, metal and woodwork, silver and clay products, household and church utensils, weapons and other interesting items. The earliest exhibits in the museum date back to 1650.
The museum also exhibits works by the famous Greek primitivist painter Theophilus Hatzimikhail (1870-1934).
The museum has its own library with a huge number of books on folk art, an archive with photo and video documents and a laboratory for the conservation of museum exhibits.
The museum hosts temporary exhibitions, various educational programs and master classes for children and adults.
