The Archaeological Museum of Paros Island, Cyclades, Greece

[Maria Athanassopoulou]

Wherever a trip may take you, it’s always interesting to get to know the history and culture of the natives. Museums are one of the ways to do this of course, so when I found myself in Paros island, I made sure to visit its  Archaeological museum in the city of Parikia.

My first impression of the museum was a beautifully landscaped exterior, decorated with a few carefully chosen exhibits that intrigued me enough to want to see more! It was there I first saw the mosaic from the 3rd-century BC of the mythical labors of Hercules as well as the human sarcophagi - a very impressive exterior site that wins the visitor over right away.

The museum itself is not very big, however its exhibits are very important and come by archaeological digs on the island itself as well as the nearby island of Antiparos. The finds are of a wide chronological spectrum, from the Neolithic era to the first Christian times. They are exhibited chronologically in the few halls of the museum, making it easier to follow the history of the island. The visitor becomes acquainted not just with the history of Paros but the entire Cyclades culture, in as well as interesting highlights of the past. One of the most impressive and valuable exhibits is the statue of Victory of Paros, dated at 470 B.C. despite the fact that the statue is missing its head, arms and wings.

It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the statue of Artemis (aka Diana) and its impressive height of almost 2.5 meters. This statue is dated to 480-490 B.C. and was worshiped in ancient rituals. Another exhibit not to miss is the idol of the “fat lady”. It was dag up at the small island of Saliangos and is the oldest idol in the entire Cyclades islands. It represents the woman body and is dedicated to fertility, dated at 5.000 B.C!

Finally, here you can also find the statue of Gorgos, extraordinarily preserved almost whole. It is dated in the 6th century BC and used to be the centerpiece of an ancient temple. Small exhibits are also very interesting. I saw quite a few, discovered on the small island of Despotiko, and exhibited in a small hall of the museum. Recent digs brought to light the very impressive indeed Altar of Apollo.

My visit to the Archaeological Museum of Paros lasted an entire morning! I learned the most interesting things, became acquainted with aspects of ancient Greek art and way of life and art that truly impressed me, and just for a while, I enjoyed the magic of travelling through time. It’s your turn now!