The Benaki Museum is among the most extensive and innovative museum organizations in Europe. Diverse cultures engage in dialogue with Greek culture and contemporary art movements across a network of venues all over Athens ‒ and beyond.
It was founded by Antonis Benakis in 1930 and donated to the Greek state. Arranged across a network of six museum buildings, the Museum also features five archival departments and an extensive library.
Its inventory covers all periods of Greek culture (from Prehistory to the present) as well as European, Islamic, Pre-Columbian, African, Chinese, and Korean art. The Museum presents over thirty exhibitions and in excess of 600 events per year, welcomes over 300,000 visitors, and offers a wide range of educational and cultural activities.
The Benaki Museum has earned international recognition and forged collaborations and partnerships with established cultural entities, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Academy of Arts, the University of Oxford, and Princeton University. Its collections are shared with the wider public on its website and on other digital platforms, including European and Google Art Project.