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Museum · Fira, Egeu Meridional
Museu Pré-histórico de Thera
Museum in Fira with the finds from Akrotiri: frescoes, pottery, Cycladic figurines and everyday objects from the town buried by the volcano.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Museu Pré-histórico de Thera
The Museu Pré-histórico de Thera is in central Fira, near the Orthodox cathedral, on the site of a church destroyed by the 1956 earthquake. It gathers what came out of the excavations at Akrotiri and other points on the island, from the Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age, in chronological order.
The highlight is the frescoes from Akrotiri, painted on the walls of the houses and reassembled on panels: scenes with blue monkeys, women harvesting saffron, antelopes and boats. There are also pots decorated with birds and dolphins, kitchen utensils, bronze tools, loom weights and marble Cycladic figurines. A small piece, a golden goat, often attracts attention.
The museum is compact, with rooms in sequence and texts in Greek and English. It serves as a direct complement to a visit to the Akrotiri site: the paintings displayed here came from the houses you see there. It usually closes one day a week; check before you go.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
From 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Best time
Around midday, to escape the heat, or in the early hours, before the groups. On cruise ship days the museum fills up between late morning and early afternoon.
How to get there
In central Fira, a few minutes' walk from the main square (Theotokopoulou) and the bus station, near the Orthodox cathedral.
Tip
Visit after Akrotiri, or the day before, to recognize the houses where the frescoes came from. There is a combined ticket with other sites on the island at certain times; check at the ticket office.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museu Pré-histórico de Thera
What is in the Museu Pré-histórico de Thera?
The frescoes and objects found in Akrotiri and other island sites: wall paintings, pottery, bronze tools, Cycladic figurines and a small golden goat.
Are all the Akrotiri frescoes in Fira?
No. Some are in this museum and some are in the Museu Arqueológico Nacional de Atenas.
How long does the visit take?
About an hour. The museum is small and organized in chronological order.