The Panathenaic Stadium, rebuilt for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896 and 1906, is beautifully constructed of Pentelic marble. Marvel at its size and sit in the royal boxes from the first games and learn more of the modern Olympics in its exhibit of posters and torches.
#cig #olympics
UPCOMING LECTURE: Wednesday March 11, 19:00, at the CIG's Nick Mirkopoulos Centre. “Farming and festivals: Sacred and economic activity at rural sanctuaries near Metaponto” presented by Eric Del Fabbro, our Neda and Franz Leipen Fellow and Ph.D. candidate at McMaster University.
Last week was a national holiday in Greece; Clean Monday, or Kathara Deftera, marks the end of the three-week Carnival or Apokries and signifies the start of Lent. Festivities included traditional songs and dances as well as kite flying, symbolizing the purification of the soul.
#cig #cleanmonday
During the Bronze Age, Crete was home to many ritual and cult practices and iconography. At Knossos, this included various bull imagery along with the snake goddesses, while across the whole island votive offerings, double-axes, and goddesses with upraised arms were common.
#cig #archaeology #crete
The Thalassocracy of Crete in the Bronze Age placed an importance on the sea that provided many trade opportunities as seen through the common nautical imagery. Surviving clay tablets of script and sealings show the administration required to record this movement of materials.
#cig #archaeology
Sir Arthur Evans worked on Knossos, a Cretan Late Bronze Age palatial site, during the 20th C. CE and based on the bull imagery and labyrinth-like layout found there, connected it to the myth of the Minotaur and named its civilization Minoan after the mythical King Minos.
#cig #knossos #archaeology
The current temporary exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, EKATOMPOLIS, focuses on the development of the polis on Crete during the Archaic Period. Of the 300 artifacts, the ones of faience and the inscription of the Gortyn Law Code are particularly significant.
#cig #archaeology
Flisvos Marina, next to Flisvos Park, is a perfect place for an evening stroll by the seaside, grabbing a bite to eat from one of the restaurants by the water and, on a clear day, enjoying a beautiful sunset.
#canadianinstitueingreece #freetimefridays #flisvosmarina #athens #greece #αθήνα #ελλάδα
Walking past Hadrian’s Arch and through the Temple of Olympian Zeus site, one can appreciate the majesty in the construction of both these structures and Hadrian's influence in the area; the colossal temple finally completed under the Emperor after over 600 years of construction.
#cig #hadrian #zeus
Marvel at the panoramic views of Athens from its highest point at 277m atop Mount Lycabettus, beautiful both by night and by day. With options to either hike or take a cable car up, one can enjoy dining, the 19th-C. Chapel of St. George, and concerts at the open-air theatre. #cig #lycabettus #athens
At Aristotle’s Lyceum, students would improve their minds and bodies through his Peripatetic style school, a method of teaching various topics while walking, and through the gymnasium and palaestra. Lying near the Ilissos River, there are many water-specific features at the site.
#cig #aristotle
With its 25,000 artifacts, the Byzantine & Christian Museum shows the religious transition to Christianity from the 3rd C. onward which began with Emperor Constantine in 313 and persisted through 6th-C. Iconoclasm and numerous invasions of the Empire throughout its existence.
#cig #greece #ελλάδα
This Japanese Garden is close to the CIG and provides a lovely space for a serene afternoon. The garden strives to present traditional designs and flora; the vermillion torii gate at its entrance, a symbol of the transition into the sacred found in Shinto Shrines, does just that.
#cig #athens
Much of Greece’s history lies in the First Cemetery of Athens through the monuments: “The Mother of the Occupation” for the Greeks who died of starvation during WWII, Schliemann’s Doric temple-styled tomb with mythical friezes, & the tomb of Greek philologist Adamantios Korais. #cig #greece #ελλάδα
Coins are not the only draw of the Numismatic Museum as visitors can also admire the beautiful art inside Schliemann’s former mansion or experience Greek culture through the events hosted there. The current art exhibit, "The Reality of Fantasy", displays Antonis Paterakis’ work.
#numismaticmuseum
The Numismatic Museum is home to fascinating coinage collections from antiquity through to the modern era. This museum is an excellent resource for learning more about the coins found in Greece and across Europe within this vast period of time.
#cig #numismatics #archaeology #νομίσματα #αρχαιολογία
The beauty of Athens is not limited to museums and can be found in the most mundane locations. Walking the streets and parks of this city reveals that it has so much more to offer.
#canadianinstituteingreece #freetimefridays #greece #athens #ελλάδα #αθήνα
This weekend, Tammy’s 15-minute ferry ride to Salamina helped contextualize the strategic use of the strait in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. On the island itself, the Archaeological Museum of Salamis provided interesting exploration due to its unique artifacts.
#cig #archaeology #αρχαιολογία
Since October 29, 2025, The National Archaeological Museum in Athens has been displaying its latest Unseen Museum exhibit which includes a Minoan octopus chest-shaped larnax and octopus stirrup jars that were illegally excavated from Crete prior to August 1967.
#minoan #archaeology #αρχαιολογία
On Aegina, Tammy also explored Palaiochora, an abandoned Medieval settlement site. This free-to-explore site now consists of over thirty churches scattered across the hill adjacent to the Agios Nektarios monastery and church.
#cig #aegina #agiosnektarios #archaeology #greece #ελλάδα #αρχαιολογία
Over the weekend, Tammy took the ferry from Piraeus to Aegina and visited the Kolonna archaeological site. Long-term occupation and overbuild at the site created a fascinating combination of different construction styles.
#cig #piraeus #aegina #kolonna #archaeology #αρχαιολογία
A warm welcome to our new intern, Tammy Markov, a Classical Studies Student from the University of Waterloo!
Learn more about her here: www.cig-icg.gr/welcome-tammy/
#canadianinstituteingreece #cig #greece #intern #athens #archaeology #universityofwaterloo #ελλάδα #αθήνα #αρχαιολογία
Next Thursday, Dec 18 at 7 p.m, join us for a public lecture by Dr. Sakis Gekas (York University): “Η «γουναρική». Οι Καστοριανοί στον Καναδά, η εργασία και το εμπόριο γούνας.” This event marks the closing of our Kastorians in Canada exhibition. See: www.cig-icg.gr/event/%ce%b4...
CALL FOR APPLICANTS: The CIG is now accepting applications for our Spring/Summer 2026 Travel Bursaries! These bursaries are open to undergraduate students, grad students, and post-doc researchers pursuing studies in Greece. More info here: www.cig-icg.gr/bursaries/
REMINDER: “The Kastorians in Canada: Recollections of a Community”. Exhibition on view at our premises, the Nick Mirkopoulos Centre (Orminiou 3A), until December 18. OPENING HOURS: Mon–Wed–Fri 10:00–14:00; Tue–Thu 17:00–20:00. Further information: www.cig-icg.gr/event/exhibi...
Founded in the 14th century by the hermit Varlaam and expanded in the 1500s, Varlaam Monastery is the second-largest at Meteora and one of the few to remain continuously active since the 16th century.
CALL FOR APPLICANTS: The CIG is now accepting applications for our Spring/Summer 2026 Travel Bursaries! These bursaries are open to undergraduate students, grad students, and post-doc researchers pursuing studies in Greece. More info here: www.cig-icg.gr/bursaries/
CIG's KASTORIA EXHIBITION IN THE GREEK PRESS!
Θερμές ευχαριστίες στην κα Νατάσα Βησσαρίωνος, την Φωνή της Ελλάδας και το ERT News για την προβολή της έκθεσης στο Καναδικό Ινστιτούτο "Οι Καστοριανοί στον Καναδά: Μνήμες μιας Κοινότητας".
www.ertnews.gr/omogeneia/oi... [GREEK ONLY]
This summer, the Abdera Urban Planning Project completed its second season of fieldwork in northern Greece, uncovering new evidence from the Insula of Houses at Abdera. Read more about this season’s results here: www.cig-icg.gr/the-abdera-u...
Exhibition opening tomorrow, Nov 27th, “The Kastorians in Canada: Recollections of a Community.” On view until Dec 18 at our premises, the Nick Mirkopoulos Centre (Orminiou 3A). Hours: Mon–Wed–Fri 10:00–14:00 | Tue–Thu 17:00–20:00. More info: www.cig-icg.gr/event/exhibi...
