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Museum of Folk Musical Instruments

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The Museum of Folk Musical Instruments is located at Plaka, in an old building that used to be the house of the Greek writer and politician George Lassani (1793 - 1870). The collection of the instruments belonged to Fivos Anogarakis, who donated to the Greek state. It contains various instruments of the 20th century. The display of the museum is organized by the classification system made by Von Hornsbostel –Csachs. According to this system the instruments are categorized by their materials and the vibrating movement through which the sound is produced.

As a result on the ground floor, next to the entrance of the museum the Membraphones (membrane or skin produces the sound) are on display. The visitor can see various drums and tambourines. Some of these instruments have a long history. There are copies of murals that show people playing these instruments in the Byzantine period. In the next room the Aerophones are displayed. Here, there are various flutes and some kind of gaida that also comes from the Byzantine Times. The first floor has the string instruments or Chrodophones. There are guitars, violins, lutes and the typical Greek instruments bouzouki and baglamas. The lute instruments came from Egypt and Mesopotamia and were discovered in 2000 B.C. In the basement are the Idiophones (instruments whose body itself produces the sound). Bells made by various ways (casted and forged) are displayed. There are also various other objects that were used as instruments. Hairdresser ornaments that women used to wear when they danced which made sounds and kept the rhythm. Small glasses that people used to hit in order to also keep the tempo.  

Next to every display case that holds an instrument there are headphones. The visitor can listen to musical parts executed by the instrument in question. In this way he can really appreciate the sound and the ingenuity of these instruments.



Last modified onMonday, 10 March 2014 23:00
  • Address: 1 Diogenous, 10556 Plaka, Athens
  • Admission: Free entrance
  • Schedule: Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday 10:00 to 14:00 Wednesday 12:00 to 18:00 Monday Closed
  • E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Phone: (+30) 210.3250198, 3254119, 3254129
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