The Benaki Museum was established and endowed in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father, Emmanuel Benakis. It occupies the Benakis family mansion on Queen Sofias Avenue, opposite the National Garden in Athens. The article names no architect, style, materials or dimensions for the main building. In 1931 the family donated the house and over 37,000 Islamic and Byzantine objects.
The director Angelos Delivorrias proposed refocusing the museum in 1973, and it took more than 25 years to carry out. Earthquake damage was followed by a $20 million renovation, and the building reopened in 2000. The Islamic collection moved to a neoclassical complex in Kerameikos, inaugurated on July 27, 2004, with over 1,000 square meters of remodeled space.
The main museum now focuses on Greek culture and holds over 100,000 artifacts. Other sites include the Kouloura Mansion toy museum and the Penelope Delta House.
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