The Athens War Museum

The War Museum was established by the Hellenic State in 1964 in order to honor all those who fought for the country's freedom. The relevant study was undertaken by a team of distinguished scientists, headed by Professor Thoukidides Valentis of the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A). On July 18, 1975, the President of the Hellenic Republic H.E. Constantine Tsatsos and the Minister of National Defense Evangelos Averof-Tositsas inaugurated the Museum.
The Museum’s mission, as this was determined by its Establishing Act, is to collect, preserve and exhibit military artifacts and memorabilia, and to study, document and project the sacred struggles of the Greek nation from antiquity to the present day, in order to preserve the national memory and promote the historic continuity of Hellenism. In addition to presenting various periods of our history, the War Museum also operates as a place for:
• Research, study and education.
• Conserving and safeguarding artifacts, memorabilia, etc.
• Organizing periodic exhibitions.
Its various activities include the publication of books, the establishment and maintenance of monuments and memorials all over Greece and abroad.
The Museum’s exhibition areas are distributed over four levels (floors) and present images of Greek history from antiquity to the present. The War Museum has organized and operates the following:
Photographic Archive. This Archive includes 20.000 historic photographs dating from 1897 until the Cypriotic Struggle for Independence (1955-1959), and the photographs are classified according to specific historic periods.
Historic Archive, which comprises personal mail and diaries of officers and soldiers, newspapers, magazines, post cards and personal files.
Film Archive, which includes films in which several historical events have been recorded.
Collection of maps and engravings, mainly depicting the Greek state.
A Library with thousands of books and prints mostly concerning the Greek history.
A congress centre that hosts congresses, events, and exhibitions.
Besides all other activities, the War Museum has opened Branches at historical cities of Greece, such as Nafplion (1988), Chania (1995), Tripolis (1997) and Thessaloniki (2000), and intends to establish more throughout the country. The Museum's exhibition areas are distributed over four levels (floors) and present images of the Greek history from antiquity to the present.
Visitors are urged to start their visit from the first floor that hosts the hall of antiquities.