Acropolis Museum to host photo exhibition of historic Greek costumes

A photography exhibition of 70 historical costumes from 19th century, from daily life and life in battle, worn by contemporary Greeks will be shown at the Acropolis Museum as of December 20.

‘Raiment of the Soul’ is an initiative by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation. The Acropolis Museum presents the exhibition in collaboration with the National Historical Museum of Athens, and is under the auspices of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. It will run until March 26, 2023.

Most of the costumes used belong to the National Historical Museum of Athens, and were loaned by the late Ioannis Mazarakis-Ainian, general secretary of the museum, to photographer Vangelis Kyris and embroidery specialist Anatoli Georgiev.

The photographs would have been presented to the public at the National Historical Museum on the occasion of the 200 years from the Greek Independence War of 1821, but the coronavirus pandemic forced its postponement. To honor this year’s centennial of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the exhibition has included costumes from Asia Minor.

The exhibit includes costumes which belonged to historic figures; local garments from mainland Greece, the Greek islands and Crete, Cyprus, and areas abroad where Greek communities flourished; costumes and garments relating to the heroes of the revolution of 1821; and eponymous and anonymous protagonists of the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of the work included in this exhibition has been shown in other cities in Greece and in Seoul.

Entrance to the exhibition ‘Raiment of the Soul’ is free to the public. A free admission ticket is required from the Museum Ticket Desk.

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