Museums & Galleries, Thessaloniki

Over 1000 years of social, secular life and religious rites are being displayed at this very interesting museum. It houses six permanent exhibitions of objects from the Early Byzantine period (300-700 AD) to 1204 AD.
There is an interesting and modern museum shop with books and own merchandise!

This Museum feels more like a grade school diarama than an actual museum and thats largely because there are three large diaramas in the basement of the Museum. The exhibits consist largely of photographs, maps and newspaper clippings all describing Bulgarian and Turkish crimes to either annex Macedonia or to stiffle Greek nationalist movements in the region. It is instructive to say the least, especially considering the current controversy surrounding FYROM. Its also a short stop from the Mitropolis.

The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki is small but interesting, if only because Jews played such an important role in the development of pre-WWII Thessaloniki, making up 50% of the population at one point. The Museum has pictures of the community on the ground floor and a chronological explanation of evolution of the community with greater emphasis on the community just before the Second World War (i.e. during the incorporation of Macedonia and Thrace into Greece) and the eventual destruction of the community during the Holocaust.

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The Museum Byzantine Culture was chosen for the Museum Prize in 2005 by the Council of Europe, and with good reason. This museum, unlike many others, not only provides complete and intelligent descriptions of Byzantine culture and the artefacts collected in the museum, but the displays are cleverly arranged and provide a refreshing break from the usual stark white backdrop of most museum displays. Indeed, the layout of the museum and the colouring of the displays is as interesting as the collection itself. The museum progresses from the beginnings of Byzantine culture through to the fall of Constantinople and the manner in which Byzantine culture was preserved and evolved through Ottoman times. A fabulous museum!

The Natural History Museum in Thessaloniki is located at Thessalonikis' zoo, revealing to the public the nature and history of the fauna in Greece. On display are cross-sections of river beds, an examination of forest life, alpine life and marine life, as well as an exhibit charting Greece's indigenous predators and prey.

It is open from Sun-Thu 9am-4pm.

The Teloglion Foundation of Art was founded in 1972 with the donation of the art collection as well as the entire property of Nestor and Aliki Telloglou to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The collection formed the core of the Foundation which was later enriched with the donation of the art collection of Toni and Ioanna Spiteris, the donation of the rich archival material of Giorgos Mourelos and recently the donation of the fine art collection of Demetrios Tsamis. Since December 1999, the Foundation has been installed in its permanent facilities at an advantageous site at the upper part of the University campus in a building whose design resulted from an architectural contest. The Teloglion Foundation of Art is a non-profit organization. Its mission is the multisided support of research and studies about art, as well as the broader familiarization of the public with art. The works of Greek artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, an important part of the museum's collections, define our direction which is the study and promotion of contemporary Greek art to specialists as well as the wider audience. The study, the electronic documentation and the accessibility of the museum's artworks are the first steps towards the advancement of research. At the same time, the organization of conferences or seminars, the hosting and exchange of specialists, the cooperation with other institutions with similar objectives in Greece and abroad and the communication of the current art research findings and achievements are among the main goals of the museum.

In December 1986 the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki moved into its new
quarters in a building located at 162 Queen Olga Street, at the corner of 25th
of St. Built in 1905 by architect Xenophon Paionidis, and now the property of the
Municipality, it is fine example of the eclectic style of architecture that flourished
in Thessaloniki, especially in the then suburban district known as "the Towers"
or "the Villas", at the turn of the century. The older residents of the city know it
as the "Villa Mordoch", from the name of the family who occupied it from
1930 - 1940. The building is distinctive for its rich mixture of elements drawn
from the Neo-classical, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles, and
which vary from one facade to the next, thus accentuating the pluralism of the
structure. Also of interest is the decorative paintwork of the interior - well preserved
in certain rooms - as well as the woodcarving.

The building was constructed at the end of the 19th century on plans drawn
by Hernest Ziller. In 1984 it was rented to the Greek General Consulate and in
1923 it was alloted to the Diocese of St. Gregory Palamas. Until the 1978
earthquake, it had been housing several elementary schools and after
it was restored and operated again as a Museum of the Macedonian Struggle.
This cube-shaped two-storied building with the elevated basement, is covered by
a four-fold roof. Its ground plan is organized typically with a central
staircase and rooms at each side. The facet's structure is characterized by
absolute symmetry while the distinct morphologic elements of the building give
it neoclassical features.

The Macedonian Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1979. The nucleus of its collection was constituted by the donation of Alexander Iolas (30 works of artists of Greek and international renown), and that of Franz Geierhaas (220 engravings), as well as by the donation of the artists: R. Raynaud, D. Kokkinides, K. Varotsos, I. Molfesis, and others. The collection also includes Oppenheim's sheet-iron sculpture, entitled "Explosions", a top-ranking example of modern sculpture, the engraving by Warhol entitled "Alexandra", the bronze sculpture by Finotti entitled "Man", and others. At the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art are also, of course, exhibited works by Greek artists, such as Takis, Costas Tsoklis, Yiannis Bouteas, Dimitris Alitheinos, Giorgos Lazongas, Alexis Akrithakis, Pavlos, Zoumbouli-Graikou, G.Tzivelos, Opy Zouni, Paniaras and others. The painting by Yiannis Moralis, entitled "Erotiko" (1990) has recently been added to this collection. During the 16 years of the Museum's operation it has
organized over 30 art shows.

The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography is the only photography museum in
Greece. Its goals include organising exhibitions and publications, supporting
historical research and criticism on the subject of Greek photography, creating an
updated library with titles and documents of Greek and international photographic
literature, as well as enriching its collection with donations and purchases of
historical and contemporary photographic works by Greek and foreign photographers.
Also included in its goals is the presentation of lectures and the creation of
educational programmes aimed at endowing the Greek audience with photographic
learning. Particular emphasis is laid on the curation of original exhibitions
and publications that study and promote aspects of contemporary Greek photographic
artwork. Background: In 1987, Aris Georgiou, Apostolos Maroulis and Yiannis Vanidis
founded the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, setting out to create a first
collection of photographs and laying the foundations for the creation of a photography
museum. The following year, in 1988, Aris Georgiou launched the first Photosynkyria,
the city's annual international photography festival. In 1995, the Organisation
for the Cultural Capital of Europe, Thessaloniki 1997, proceeded to found the
Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, setting up an administrative committee
under the chairmanship of Giorgos Katsangelos. In 1997, under the ministry
of Evangelos Venizelos, the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography was established
by law and finally came into existence during the following year, with Giorgos
Makris as its president and Aris Georgiou as its first director. In December 2001,
it was housed in its current premises, in Warehouse A at the Port of Thessaloniki.