Renovated Symi Museum Offers Insight into Local History and Culture

A museum complex dedicated to the long history and rich cultural heritage of the island of Symi has reopened its doors to the public following extensive renovation works.

Consisting of traditional buildings, courtyards and gardens, the upgraded museum complex includes the Farmakidis Mansion that houses the archaeological and folklore museums, the Chatziagapitos Mansion and eight restored traditional houses, which cover an area of 1,385 square meters that was added to the property.

The museums’ collections have been reorganized aiming to present the island’s social, economic and cultural development through time, as well as its residents’ activities, ranging from shipbuilding and sponge diving to trade and art.

“Symi has a rich cultural heritage that starts from pre-historic times… The island has always had special cultural features connected with the nobility, decency and enthusiasm of its residents for literature,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said during the recently held inauguration ceremony.

Mendoni also referred to the donors of the properties that today form the museum complex. As she said, the state should honor Symi’s benefactors for their generosity, as “they offered their fortune, personal space… their houses in order to provide a home for the island’s history”.

Attendees at the inauguration ceremony included Deputy Tourism Minister Manos Konsolas, the Metropolitan of Symi Chrysostomos and the island’s mayor, Lefteris Papakalodoukas.