The various museums in Athens related to ancient Greece fail to successfully present the scientific achievements of the Greeks. This gap is filled by a small private museum in the center of Athens, which I regularly visit with my family.

The Museum of Ancient Greek Technology is hosted in a restored art nouveau building close to Syntagma Square. It is focused on highlighting a relatively unknown aspect of ancient Greek civilization and proving that the technology of the ancient Greeks was surprisingly similar to the beginning of modern technology. The exhibition consists of operating models of ancient Greek inventions, from the robot-servant of Philon to the analogue computer of Antikythera, and covers the period starting from 2000 B.C. All were constructed by Kostas Kotsanas during many years of extensive research. The reconstruction of the objects has been based on the study of Greek, Latin, and Arabic literature, vase painting information, and relevant archaeological finds. Most of the exhibits are interactive, something the children love, and they are accompanied by audio-visual material (in Greek and English) and explanatory labels. The same building also houses the Museum of Ancient Greek Musical Instruments and Toys.

It will be difficult for you to accept that the stunning innovations you see in the museum were built so many hundreds of years ago. The visit to the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology is an unforgettable experience for the whole family, while at the same time, it opens a window to an unknown aspect of the ancient world.