The Benaki Museum, established and endowed in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, is housed in the Benakis family mansion in downtown Athens, Greece. The museum houses Greek works of art from the prehistorical to the modern times, an extensive collection of Asian art, hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop. Although the museum initially housed a collection that included Islamic art, Chinese porcelain and exhibits on toys, its 2000 re-opening led to the creation of satellite museums that focused on specific collections, allowing the main museum to focus on Greek culture over the span of the country's history.

The Benaki Museum today feautures various collections of museum: 

Pireos 138:
The new Benaki Museum building is located at 138 Pireos Street, one of the central development axes of Athens. The existing building, which is organised around a central courtyard, is already being refurbished, thanks to co-funding by the Ministry of Culture and the European Union. The new building covers a total area of 8,200 m2 with underground areas of 2,800 m2 and an internal courtyard of 850 m2. The exhibition halls span 3,000 m2. There is an amphitheatre capable of seating 300, as well as areas to house the Museum services.

Greece in Benaki Museum:
The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is housed in one of the most beautiful neoclassical-style buildings in Athens, near the National Garden and the Hellenic Parliament. It was converted into a museum in order to shelter the collections of Antonis Benakis and was donated to the Greek nation by himself and his three sisters, Alexandra, Penelope and Argine. Following its most recent refurbishment (1989–2000), the building houses a unique exhibition on Greek culture arranged diachronically from prehistory to the 20th century.

Ghika Gallery:
The building at 3 Kriezotou Street belonged to the artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika who donated it to the Benaki Museum during his lifetime. The original structure, commissioned by Alexander Hadjikyriakos around 1932, comprised a ground floor and five upper floors. Designed by the architect Kostas Kitsikis, a professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), it was a typical example of an interwar apartment block.

Childhood, Toys and Games:
The Benaki Toy Museum opened to the public in 2017. Its holdings, based on the collection of Maria Argyriadi that is among the most important in Europe, include toys, books, ephemera, clothing and other items associated with childhood from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Museum of Islamic Art:
The Islamic art collections of the Benaki Museum are housed in a complex of neo-classical buildings located in the historical centre of Athens, in the Kerameikos district.

Find out more about the museum's collections on Benaki.org

Undoubtedly, modern societies are characterized by constant movement and rapid changes that cause intense stress and anxiety. We are always trying to catch up, automatically switch from one activity to another, and practice multitasking, only to end up operating mechanically, almost robotically, not seeing the essence and value of every moment. 

Contrary to this unhealthy and stressful lifestyle, however, mindfulness can be described as the ability to be fully present at the moment, recognizing our feelings, our thoughts, and our bodily senses. This concept was first introduced over 2,500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama himself (Buddha).

Mindfulness can be applied to many aspects of our daily lives, from our diet to the use of technology, in which case we refer to digital mindfulness. Digital mindfulness involves reevaluating the way we use technology so that the latter serves our needs. Instead of turning technology into a way of escaping reality, becoming attached to a fictional online world and a culture that feeds us with substitutes for truth, we utilize it as a tool that makes our lives easier.

Digital mindfulness essentially puts an end to the excessive consumption of digital content. To achieve it, however, one needs conscious practice. Let's take a look at some ways that will help us bring mindfulness to our digital lives.

1. Record Screen Time
 

In recent years, large technology companies, realizing that the risk of Internet addiction is greater than ever, have begun to develop various tools to help users manage the time they spend online. Apple has introduced the Screen Time tool, which informs us about the time we spend on applications and websites, while Google has developed a series of Digital Wellbeing tools, enabling us to use our devices more consciously

2. Turn Do Not Disturb mode on

It is not uncommon that, although we have to concentrate on something important, we end up scrolling on our phones. A simple solution is to activate the Do Not Disturb mode to get rid of unnecessary notifications that distract us. However, according to research, the mere presence of a smartphone can lead to reduced productivity levels and limited cognitive capacity, so it might be better to keep our phones in another room when we have to concentrate on an important task.

3. Declutter your phone

Being organized has numerous mental health benefits. A tidy space helps us put our thoughts in order, while a cluttered room creates a chaotic situation. The same goes for our digital rooms. We should clean up our phones and get rid of everything we no longer need. The list of our emails and the notifications we receive, for example. What is important and what is not? Notification overload can negatively impact our mental health. 

4. Stop using your phone at least an hour before going to sleep

Did you know that the blue light emitted by LED screens deceives our brain, making it think it is morning? Exposure to blue light at night inhibits the release of melatonin, making it difficult for us to fall asleep. Also, exposure to blue light negatively affects our circadian rhythm, impairing the quality of sleep by reducing the duration of deep sleep.

The Museum of Illusions in central Athens brings an amazing location for both socializing and entertaining.

A perfect place for new experiences and fun, there’s something for everyone: friends and family, parents and couples, grandparents and grandchildren!

Enter the fascinating world of illusions which will trick your confidence in senses, but amaze you by doing it; the world that will confuse you completely, but also educate you.

Let your imagination run free in the vast expanse of the Infinity Room, defy the laws of gravity in the Reverse Room, shrink to miniature size in the Ames Room… all while capturing you in the coveted, impossible photo.

Enjoy a collection of holograms, look closely at each optical illusion, and observe each exhibit. You’ll find that each is a brilliant, playful reminder that our assumptions of the world are often nothing but a spectre of illusions.

Amusing and awesome tricks will teach you about vision, perception, the human brain and science so it will be easier to perceive why your eyes see things which your brain cannot understand. Make sure you visit our playroom with intriguing and educational games and puzzles. These brain bashers are definitely great fun but tend to be frustrating as well.

 

With all the challenges we are facing in the last couple of years children have an increased need to feel safe and secure. I’m not referring to material safety. In her book “Understanding Childrens’ Emotions,” Isabelle Filliozat talks about children’s need to have a sense of security.

How do you cultivate that? Children want and need to trust their parents. In order to feel this trust, they need to be certain of their parents’ personal power. Unlike what some may believe, however, being a strong parent has absolutely nothing to do with being dominating. On the contrary, strong is the parent who expresses their feelings and gives space to their child to do the same. I bet that’s a definition of the word “strong” you hadn’t thought of.

Whether pleasant or not, our emotions have names and it’s significant to recognize them. By doing so we accept ourselves just as we are. That’s how we start to trust ourselves and how we become trustworthy.

When we acknowledge our emotions, when we are able to name them, and learn to tolerate them without criticism or fear we strengthen our personality. We also understand that our emotions alone cannot destroy a relationship or a person and that makes us feel more secure.

More than often though we adults tend to hide our emotions and don’t talk about them. As a result, without realizing it, that’s exactly what we teach our children to do. And when our children misbehave we take it personally and punish them.

What I would recommend doing instead is to take a step back and think about what may be the reasons for that behavior. They may be fighting about a toy or screaming about ice cream but the question is what lies behind the surface. What may be the possible emotions they are suppressing – unknowingly sometimes – and why?

We, adults, need to learn to decode the language children use – something “grownups” forget easily – and allow them to feel what they feel. “I understand you” is a very useful phrase. For example, “I understand you’re angry but I love you the same.” This is how we can help them to avoid feeling guilty and to start calming down. Knowing it’s ok to express their righteous anger allows them to have a sense of their limits and at the same time helps to strengthen their identity.

Expressing their feelings, even by crying, is a therapeutic process. We must allow them to “talk” and give them the space to live emotionally. Because the contrary, suppressing their emotions, may alter their personality. And this doesn’t make us strong parents.

Originally published on: itsmylife.gr

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

(Note, the website is currently only available in Greek.)

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Get ready for the first Meet Market of 2022!

We will be kicking of the spring season with our classic Easter edition Meet Market at Technopolis, City of Athens. Expect to find 120 plus stands of locally produced wonders from makers all over Greece – both inside our classic D12 venue and outside in the central courtyard and Mixanourgio courtyard of Technopolis. And they’ll be plenty of new participants too!

As usual, we’ll have dj sets, interactive games for kids, street food, cocktails, our classic Easter egg hunt and general good vibes, so spend the day with us. Its been a while and we can’t wait to meet again.

Plenty more info coming soon!

The zeibekiko dance and the popular musical instruments bouzouki, tzouras, and baglamas have been included on Greece’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the Greek Culture Ministry recently announced.

“The zeibekiko dance, the bouzouki, and similar musical instruments identify with Greece and its folk tradition. They played a leading role in Greek folk music during the 20th century,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said.

According to Mendoni, the bouzouki, tzouras, and baglamas are the most renowned Greek musical instruments abroad.

The zeibekiko dance

The zeibekiko was developed in large urban centers of Greece, mainly port cities including Piraeus, Patra, Syros, Thessaloniki, Volos, Chania, and Kavala among others, and the eastern Aegean islands.

The bouzouki instrument

The bouzouki was brought to Greece in the early 1900s by Greek refugees from Anatolia and quickly became the central instrument to the rebetiko genre and its music branches. It is now an important element of modern laïko pop Greek music.

The tzouras and baglamas instruments

Also added to Greece’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List are the tzouras and baglamas. The two musical instruments are both connected to Greece’s folk tradition and associated with the zeibekiko dance.

The tzouras is related to the bouzouki. It is made in six-string and eight-string varieties.

The baglamas is a smaller version of the bouzouki pitched an octave higher, with unison pairs on the four highest strings and an octave pair on the lower D. Musically, the baglamas is most often found supporting the bouzouki in the Piraeus city style of rebetiko.

To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr

Greek universities plan to expand the number of programs offered in English, aiming to attract students from the Balkans, other Mediterranean countries, South Asia, and China, as well as interested Greek students.

More than 200 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs will be added, most in 2023-24 but some in the 2022-23 academic year.

Universities are seeking support from EU structural funds.

Likewise, UK universities aim to attract Greek students back, after seeing an exodus after Brexit, by offering joint programs with Greek institutions.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com