The Archaeological Museum in Vathy

The main attraction in Samos Town is the Archaeological Museum. To get there, go to the right (you will then have the water on the left) by the beautiful bank building on the harbour promenade. The first thing you see is a park where there is a nice cafe called Café Museum, the museum is behind the cafe, next to it is the Town Hall which in turn is next to a nice church.

Café Museum outside the Archaeological Museum.

The museum consists of two buildings. In the first building - where you buy your entrance ticket - is the museum's main attraction: the more than five meter tall Kouros statue. Kouros (youth or young man) is a name given to a standing statue from the Archaic period (650-480 BC) depicting a naked young man. They were carved directly from marble stone and were sometimes commissioned by wealthy businessmen.

The grand entrance to the Archaeological Museum.

A Kouros is almost always depicted with his left leg advanced, as if in mid-stride, arms hanging by his sides and fists clenched. The Kouros in the Archaeological Museum in Samos Town is no exception. The statue is portrayed on many postcards, then it stands alone and you don't understand how tall it really is until you see it in place. Very impressive. There are also other statues in the museum, but none come up to the same dignity.

The more than five meter tall Kouros in the Archaeological Museum in Samos town.

On Naxos island there are three Kouros statues left behind in the nature, probably because the marble did not measure up.

Read about the Kouros in Apollonas on Naxos here »

Read about the Kouros in Melanes on Naxos here »

Read more about Samos here »