Homepage » Athens University’s Museums

Athens University History Museum

The History Museum of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the focal cultural point of NKUA that promotes, fosters and highlights our University's history. The History Museum is located in the neo-classical historical building on the north slope of the Acropolis hill that dates before the 18th Century which formally was the residence of the architect Stamatios Kleanthis and later on (for the period 1837-1841) it served as the premises of "The Othoneion University".

In 1987 the History Museum was inaugurated. The mission of the Museum is to strengthen the relations between the University of Athens and the society as well as to highlight the history of the University.

Its collections consist of old and rare book editions, manuscripts, diplomas, scientific instruments, portraits, photographs, medals, seals and other University memorabilia. Several exhibitions are hosted and cultural and scientific events are organized to highlight the history of education and research in Greece, like for example, the periodic exhibition "The Banner of the University of Athens - Modern Visual Approaches". In addition, theatrical and musical performances are hosted in its courtyard during the summer period. The museum also participates in international events for the protection and enhancement of the university heritage. Indicatively, it is a member of the European network UNIVERSEUM European Academic Heritage Network and in 2015 it hosted the 16th UNIVERSEUM Conference in Athens with the participation of universities from 16 European countries. 

Opening Hours: 09.00 - 16.00. The Museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

CONTACT  Director: Evangelos Papoulias, Tholou 5, Plaka, 105 56 Athens, tel.:210 3689510/502-508, fax:210 3689501, e-mail: museum[at]uoa[dot]gr

Museum of Anatomy / Collection of George Papanicolaou

It was founded in 1877. The King Otto donated the famous anatomical tables of Weber and Mascani. It includes a rich collection of dry bones, 100 skulls, brain slices, skeletons with exostoses, bones with anomalies, fetuses with clefts and malformations, vascular and nerve preparations, formalin embalmed organs with their vascularization and nerve supply and a rich collection of old surgical instruments.

February 2014 marked the 52th anniversary of the death of George Papanicolaou, the inventor of the Pap test for cervical cancer screening. Among the exhibits there are rare photographs from Papanicolaou's life, his awards, the plan of the last Greek banknote and his portraits. The central focus of the exhibition includes photographs, letters and other documents about the scientific work of Papanicolaou. 

CONTACT: Th. Troupis, Director - Professor, Anatomical Museum, Laboratory of Anatomy, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 M. Asias st., Goudi, 11527 Athens, tel.: 210 7462305, fax: 210 7462398, e-mail: ttroupis@med.uoa.gr 

Museum of Anthropology

It was founded in 1886 and has constituted the most important center for the development of Anthropology in Greece, partly also in Europe. The main part of the Anthropological Museum scientific collections consists of skeletal series that cover all periods of the ancient Greek world. These collections have been the subject of systematic anthropological studies conducted by important Greek and foreign anthropologists, who have expressed basic views concerning the ethnogenesis, the shaping and the evolution of the Helladic population.

CONTACT Myrsini Kouloukousa, Assosiate Professor, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 M. Asias st, Goudi, 11527 Athens, tel: 210 7462359, 210 7462358, 210 7462360, e-mail: mkoulouk[at]med.uoa[dot]granthropologymuseum[at]med.uoa[dot]graorgeta[at]med.uoa[dot]gr 

Museum of Criminology

Founded in 1932, it is the first University museum in Greece dedicated to Criminology and to Forensic Sciences in general. It illustrates history of crime by presenting some of the most notorious crimes that took place during 19th and early 20th centuries. The Museum’s collections include a rich source of data for researchers in forensic medicine and toxicology, and other forensic sciences, and also areas of sociology that focuses on the study of crimes and their causes, effects, and social impact.

CONTACT Director: Maria Stefanidou-Loutsidou, Professor of Toxicology, Address: 75, Mikras Asias str., Goudi, Athens, University of Athens, Greece, tel.: (+30) 210 7462406, website: www.criminology-museum.uoa.gr

Museum of Pharmacology

Inaugurated in 1998, the museum organizes educational and scientific exhibition of research apparatus and minor equipments, biochemical, books and of any other relative to the pharmacological research materials and exhibits

CONTACT: Charis Liapi, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Dept. of Pharmacology Medical School, University Campus, Athens, 11527 Goudi tel.: 210 7462504

Museum of the Department of Dentistry

Opened for the public in 2013, it is one of a kind in Eastern Mediterranean area. It deals with the collection and study (recording, documentation, evaluation) of dental evidence in Greece. The main exhibition hall includes dental instruments dated from the 19th century (dental drills, tooth forceps, instruments used in operative dentistry, instruments and appliances for dental prosthesis, dental handpieces and a very rare dental unit with an even more rare dental light). Also, the historical archive is incorporated into the Museum since 1916.

CONTACT Mr. G. Vougiouklakis, Professor Emeritus, Dental School.

Secretariat: Ms Margarita Sakelliou, Museum of the Dental School, Dental School, National and Kapodestrian University of Athens, 2 Thivon st, Goudi, 11527 Athens-GREECE, tel.: 210 7461319, fax: 210 7461319, email: marsakel[at]dent.uoa[dot]gr

website: www.museum.dent.uoa.gr

 

Museum of Archaeology and History of Art

It was founded in the early 30s. Since 1988 it is located in the premises of School of Philosophy. It contains more than 8,800 exhibition objects.  These are copies or originals that have been donated or lent to the museum for a specific time period. A fully equipped Maintenance Unit is operating since 2010. The Museum is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and regularly participates to activities like the International Museums Day and the European Days of Cultural Heritage.

CONTACT Director: Platon Petridis, Professor of Byzantine Archaeology, Department of History an dArchaeology. Head of school programmes: Dr. Alexandra Sfyroera - Faculty of History and Archaeology, School of Philosophy, University Campus, Zografou, Athens 157 84, tel./fax: +30 210 7277561, E-mail: museum[at]arch.uoa[dot]gr, http://museum.arch.uoa.gr/

Museum of Education

It was founded in 1993 and belongs to the Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology. The aims of the Museum are the research, studying and preservation of the cultural heritage in the Sector of Education. Its first exhibition was held in 2000.

CONTACT  Director: Prof. M.Z. Fountoupoulou, Head of Educational Programs: Ms E. Xenaki - Address: School of Philosophy, University Campus, Athens, 15784, Zografou tel.: 210 7277826, 210 7277564, email: elixen[at]ppp.uoa[dot]gr  Web:www.mouseiopaideias.org

Museum of Biblical and Christian Archaeology

It was founded in 1969. Important casts derived from the Louvre museum are included in its collection: the Hammurabi Code, the Column of medium and the obelisk of Shalmaneser III.

CONTACT Christos Karayiannis, Lecturer Dep. of Theology, School of Theology, University Campus, Athens, 15784, Zografou, tel.: 210 7275701

Botanical Museum / Botanical Garden

The Botanical Museum became independent in 1868. Its predecessor was the old Physiographic Museum, founded in 1850 and included the botanical, zoological and mineralogical collections of the University. 

More than 200 plant species are cultivated in the Botanical Garden. Rare kinds of high palm aged more than a century (species of Washingtonia filifera (Palmae)) that can be found there and have historical value. The Botanical Garden is currently closed to the public.

CONTACT Botanical Museum Director: Prof. Margarita Arianoutsou - Farangitaki, School of Biologye-mail: botmuseum@biol.uoa.gr, marianou[at]biol.uoapdot]gr

Botanical Garden: Dr Theophanis Constantinidis, Associate Professor, Department of Biology.  

Tel.: 210 727 4258 consgr@biol.uoa.gr 

Scientific Support: Dr. Ioannis Bazos, Laboratory Teaching Staff, Department of Biology. 

Museum of Zoology

The Museum's collections include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, marine invertebrates, snails, insects and other invertebrates from Greece and other countries as well as anthropological findings. The Museum is visited every year by approximately 10.000 persons, mostly by children from primary and secondary education.

CONTACT Director : Professor Stratis Valakos, Panepistimioupoli Campus Zografou, PO: 15784

Tel.: 210 7274376, evalakos@biol.uoa.gr 

Museum of Mineralogy and Petrology

The original collections of the Mineralogy and Petrology Museum were created at the Natural History Society that was established in Athens in 1835. The University acquired the collections in 1837. The University Museum of Mineralogy-Petrography was created in 1908 and contains the oldest collection of minerals and rocks in Greece. It has been part of the Geology Department since 1982.

CONTACT Panepistimioupoli Campus Zografou, PO: 15784, tel.: 2107274112, 2107274180, fax: 2107274883

Director: Prof. Panayotis Voudouris, tel.: +30-210-7274124, fax: +30-210-7274883, e-mail: voudouris[at]geol.uoa[dot]gr,  http://museums.geol.uoa.gr/mineralogy/,  https://www.facebook.com/MineralogyAndPetrologyMuseum

Museum of Physical Sciences and Technology

Nowadays, its stored collection preserves more than 10,000 valuable scientific instruments. The Museum also possesses the archive of the University of Smyrni, which Konstantinos Karatheodrori saved and brought in Greece. The building’s foundation ceremony was held on June 6, 1887 and in the foundations a glass cylinder was placed containing a gold Greek coin and a membrane with the writing: “Dedicated to scientific work, which should be further dedicated to the country”. The old Museum's premises were the “Old Chemistry Laboratory” of the University. A re-opening of the Museum in part of the re-furbished building is now planned. 

CONTACT Dr. Chrysoleon Symeonidis, Department of Physics, chsymenon@phys.uoa.gr. 

Museum of Paleontology and Geology

The collection of the Museum of Paleontology & Geology includes fossils of animals and plants from all over Greece, thus covering more than 300 million years of the geological history of our country. The collection is very rich, with samples recovered since the late 19th century, and it is distinguished for the excellent preservation and uniqueness of its exhibits. It also includes samples from abroad, micropaleontological and stratigraphic collections, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. 

CONTACT Director: Prof. E. Koskeridou, tel. 2107274165, e-mail: palaeo-museum[at]geol.uoa[dot]gr,  ekosker[at]geol.uoa[dot]gr, web page:   http://paleo-museum.uoa.gr/paleontology

Museum of Informatics and Telecommunications

The Museum of Informatics and Telecommunications (MI&T) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens was founded in the fall of 2019 and is currently under construction. The Museum will be housed on campus, at the bottom level of the Reading Room of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, in a total area of 263 sq.m. with an autonomous entrance and accessible by visitors with disabilities.

 

Objectives of the Museum

The main goal is for the Museum to become:

  • a permanent, modern exhibition space, based on contemporary museological practices, which will introduce the public creatively, both through the exhibits and digitally, to the world of computational thinking;
  • a living lab (a hive of creativity) for conducting and promoting scientific research, at an interdisciplinary level.

Specifically, the MI&T aims to highlight:

  • the History of Informatics and Telecommunications in Greece and internationally, as a center for the preservation, research and promotion of these scientific fields;
  • the History of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, since 1989, highlighting distinctions and rich research work through the collection, storage, maintenance, documentation and promotion of the Archive, the Collections and the research and educational activity of the Department in all sectors of Informatics and Telecommunications;
  • the evolutionary course of Informatics as a science and its importance in the various aspects of our lives, contributing to visitors’ familiarization with Informatics and digital literacy.

 

MI&T activities

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the Museum is planning to carry out:

  • periodical exhibitions (photography, sculpture, special tributes, etc.) inspired by technology topics;
  • synergies with respective Museums and organizations in Greece and abroad;
  • educational and research programs;
  • lecture series, symposia and workshops;
  • publication of printed / electronic magazines;
  • a museum shop

 

Contact

Address: Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University Campus, Ilisia, 157 84, https://www.di.uoa.gr/en/outreach/museum/about

Museum Director: Assistant Professor Maria Roussou

Phone: +30 210 7275225, e-mail: mroussou@di.uoa.gr

Museum & Communications Manager: Stella Kazilieri

Phone: +30 210 7275238, e-mail: skazi@di.uoa.gr

 

Location on the map

Folklore Museum and Archive

Τhe Folklore Museum and Archive is housed on the 7th floor (Complex 734) of the School of Philosophy Building, where the Folklore Study Centre and Specialized Library (Spoudasterion Laografias) of the Department of Philology used to operate. The Museum and Archive is linked to the operation of the particular Study Centre, which was founded in 1965 as “Manuscript Archive of Primary Folklore Material” with a “Folklore Museum Collection” attached to it. Today, it numbers more than 4,000 files of manuscripts of folklore material from different regions in Greece, Cyprus and the Greek diaspora that are related to the documentation of various aspects of Greek folklore culture in the language idiom used by the informants.  This material has been submitted by students of the School of Philosophy as fieldwork undertaken in the subject of Folklore Studies. 1.303 collections of manuscripts have been digitized and can be accessed by researchers via the University of Athens Digital Library Pergamos (http://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/). 

Scholars from Greece and abroad often consult the Archive which is the second largest Archive of folklore interest of its kind in the country.  Meanwhile, the Archive is continuously updated with material submitted by BA and MA students and diversified in response to current developments in Greek society and culture.  It includes also Archive of Documents dating from the 18th and the 19th centuries that concern statuary laws, a Microphotography Archive, a Musical Material Archive, a Vocal Archive, and an Archive of Autobiography and Narration of the Lives of Refugees, Migrants and Greeks of the Diaspora. As far as the Folklore Museum is concerned, its nucleus numbers approximately 1,100 objects of folklore culture and art that have been donated by students and have been partly digitized.

The Folklore Museum and Archive operates under the supervision of Academic Staff of the Department of Byzantine Philology and Folkloristics and with the important contribution of the librarians of the Folklore Study Centre and Library. Μainly postgraduate students of the MA programme “Folklore Studies and Folklore Culture” participate actively in the organization and operation of the Museum and the Archive with the aim to develop management skills in organizing, documenting, transcribing and digitizing its collections.

https://fma-en.phil.uoa.gr/folklore_museum_archives/

Director: Vasiliki Chrysanthopoulou, Assistant Professor, Department of Philology

Contact: Mrs Zoe Zoupa, Department of Philology. 

Tel.: 210 7277778

E-mail: fma[at]phil.uoa[dot]gr

Historical Archive

The Historical Archive of the NKUA was established in 1991 and is a research center of the University. The purpose of the Historical Archive is το preserve, organize and manage the archives since the establishment of the University of Athens (1837). This material constitutes a research infrastructure for the study of the history of the University of Athens and of Greek and European History in general. The collection of the Historical Archive (approximately 2,000,000 sheets) is accessible at its premieres in the center of Athens.

CONTACT  

President of the Governing Body of the Historical Archive, Professor Vangelis Karamanolakis, Department of History and Archaeology - address: 45 Skoufa St., 10672 Athens, Tel. 2103689522, E-mail: istorikoarxeio[at]uoa[dot]grwww.archive.uoa.gr