The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens celebrates International Museum Day with events and activities at its Museums and Special Collections.
See the museums of NKUA:
–https://www.uoa.gr/to_panepistimio/moyseia/
–https://estories.uoa.gr/politistikh_klhronomia/mouseia
The Athens University History Museum (5 Tholou St, Athens) participates in the celebrations entitled ‘Museums for Education and Research’ with the following events:
Saturday 18 May 2024, 11:00
Paper theatre & guided tour entitled: ‘The “Old University” and Its Inhabitants – The First Urban Plan of Athens and Other Short & Long Stories about the Building and Its Inhabitants’.
Sunday 19 May 2024, 12:00
Guided tour entitled: ‘The Collection of Works of Art of the Athens University History Museum’.
The Museum of Archaeology and History of Art (Department of History and Archaeology, School of Philosophy) participates in the celebration by offering an interactive tour of the Museum’s Educational Collections entitled: ‘Museum: A School. We Get Our Hands on Ancient Objects, We Learn About the Past’ on Saturday 18 May 2024 at 10:00-15:00 (please book in advance by phone on 210 727 7628 or email museum@arch.uoa.gr).
In addition, the Museum of Palaeontology and Geology, which hosts a unique collection of fossils from all over Greece and other parts of the world, contributing to highlighting our planet’s natural heritage, presents the ‘v-PalM’. This new initiative aims to build a digital interactive Museum by connecting science and technology in the service of education. The impressive exhibits of the Museum of Palaeontology and Geology come to life thanks to an innovative digital platform that contains virtual tours, interactive games, and educational activities. We invite you on an exciting journey through time to discover the fascinating history of Earth!
The Museums of NKUA
As stated by the Rector of NKUA, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, in the announcement of the University: ‘The core of the University Museums’ collections started developing at the very first moment of the foundation of our Institution. The initial goal was to form collections of objects for educational purposes. The history of the NKUA Museums began barely one year after the establishment of the University in 1837, with the creation of a “Collection of Instruments”, which contained objects for laboratory teaching of surgery, physical sciences, and mathematics. This collection would eventually form the basis of the Museum of Natural Sciences and Technology. Some of the earliest University Museums to open were the Physiographic Museum (1858), the Botanical Museum (1871), the Museum of Anthropology (1886), the Zoological Museum (1895), and the Museum of Mineralogy and Petrography (1908).
The University Museums continued to increase in number and size throughout the 20th century. Many of the recently established Museums (Museum of Archaeology and History of Art, Museum of Education, The Folklore Museum, Pathology Museum, Anatomical Museum, Pharmacology Museum, Museum of Physiology “George Kotzias”, etc.) are housed in the Schools of Philosophy and Medicine. Meanwhile, the Athens University History Museum was established in the Plaka neighbourhood of Athens to mark the 150th anniversary of NKUA. Nowadays, the eighteen Museums of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens continue their educational work, allowing the general public to come into contact with collections unique in Greece and worldwide. The interesting path that each of the University Museums follows individually testifies, at the same time, to the history of University education in Greece.’
The Rector of NKUA
Gerasimos Siasos
Professor of Cardiology