Byzantine & Christian Museum: One of the most important public institutions in Greece, established in the early 20th century (1914) in order to collect, study, preserve and exhibit the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine cultural heritage in the Hellenic territory. The museum collection contains approximately 30,000 of works of art such as icons, sculptures, ceramics, ecclesiastical textiles, paintings, jewelries and architectural elements. The permanent exhibition is divided in two main parts: The first is devoted to Byzantium (4th -15th c. AD) and contains 1200 artifacts and the second entitled “From Byzantium to the modern era” presents 1500 artworks dating from the 15th to 20th century. Open: From November 1st to March 31st: Tuesday-Sunday: 09:30-17:30 Monday: closed. From April 1st to October 31st: Monday-Sunday: 08:00-20:00. Monastery of Kaisariani: lies at a short distance to the east of Athens, on a hillside at the foot of Mt. Hymettos. It is enclosed by a high wall with two gates, one on the east and one on the west side. The catholicon was built in the late 11th – early 12th century and was dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple. It is a cross-in-square, four-column church, with a dome, and its walls are built in the cloisonne masonry with poor brick ornaments. The domed narthex was added in the 17th century. About the same time, the barrel-vaulted chapel to the north, dedicated to Aghios Antonios, was added, too. The interior of the church is decorated with wall paintings dating from the 18th century while those in the narthex date back to 1682 and were made by Ioannes Hypatios, according to an inscription. Open Daily 08:30-15:00 except Monday. Monastery of Daphni which lies to the west of Athens, almost half-way along the ancient Sacred Way to Eleusis. The interior of the church is decorated with superb mosaics, dating from the end of the 11th century, a unique, fine example of the Classical idealism of Middle Byzantine art. The first excavations on the site were conducted in 1892 by D. Kambouroglou. In 1936-39 J. Travlos carried out excavations at the ancient temple of Apollo. In the course of the restorations during 1955-57, trenches were opened at several parts of the monument, especially at the chapel.
