The European Schools Newspaper April issue | Page 5
The European Schools Newspaper, Issue No 3, 47th Primary School of Piraeus
The Archaeological Museum of Piraeus
provides a representative picture of the
history of the city in ancient times, from
Mycenaean times to the Roman era (1600 BC500 AD). Some of the exhibits are extremely
rare, for example, the oldest surviving cast
statue in Greece, a ’kouros’ (young male statue),
statues of the goddess Artemis etc. all brass
works dating back to the 4th century BC.
The Hellenic Maritime Museum of Piraeus is
the museum of the naval history of the country,
the largest in Greece. Some of the most
important exhibits are part of the Cononian
Wall and the ship sheds where the ancient
ships, ‘triremes’, were repaired. Also, a
collection of 10,000 volumes of rare nautical
books and maps can be found in the museum.
The Hellenic Naval Academy was
completed in 1904 to house the school of
naval officers for the Hellenic Navy
which until then operated unofficially in a
battleship
named
‘Hellas’.
It
is
considered one of the best military
schools in the country and one of the
most
distinguishing
architectural
establishments in Piraeus.
The Hatzikiriakio Institution was founded in
1889 by Ioannis Hatzikiriakos, a cotton
merchant from Smyrna, to house the orphaned
and homeless girls in Greece. This neoclassical
building has been characterized as a ‘Work of
Art’ and a ‘Historical Monument’ by the Greek
Ministry of Culture. It was severely damaged
during the 1999 earthquake and was therefore
found unsuitable for the housing of children. The
boarding school, dormitories, and administration
offices are sheltered in temporary lodges in the
surrounding area. The existence of the
institution has also given the name to the area
where the building is situated.
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