2000 Re-opening
In 2000, the Benaki Museum re-opened following a $20 million renovation and restoration of the building, which had been damaged in an earthquake. The renovation allowed it to become the only museum in Greece that brings visitors through all ages of Greek culture and history. It is also unique in that it does not focus on nationalism but rather recognizes and celebrates the foreign influences on Greek culture.
Although the museum's director, Angelos Delivorrias, came up with the idea to re-focus the museum and its exhibits in 1973, it was more than 25 years later that he was able to make this a new reality. This reality involved moving the museum's collections of Islamic Art and Chinese porcelain with painting to other locations so that the main museum in Athens would focus solely on Greece.
Read more about this topic: Benaki Museum, Athens Campus