Kos Hippocrates Garden Cultural Center

Location: Mastichari
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Hippocrates Garden Cultural Centre is dedicated to the ancient Greek physician and father of medicine, Hippocrates of Kos. This private philosophical and cultural center was created in 2008 by Mrs Julie Zafeiratou and is a replica of a 5th-century BC ancient Greek settlement. In particular, the settlement consists of a house (oikos) that is a faithful recreation of that period's houses, a Philosopher's Arcade, a stone-built theater of 80 seats, a museum, a stoa (incubation hall), a vineyard and a temple dedicated to Apollo.

Like most houses built in the 5th century BC, this two-story house is made of local stone. It includes an estia (sitting room with a fireplace in the center), bathroom, kitchen, room for men (androon), room for women (genekonitis), and a weaving room. The furniture is handmade and resembles furniture from the ancient times.

The Philosopher's Arcade is constructed with handmade mosaics on the floor and frescoes on the walls. In the library of the arcade, guests can study the work of ancient Greek philosophers and see antique items of the modern Greek era, such as books from the 1920s or 20th-century household items. The stoa of abaton or enkoimeterion is a replica of the incubation halls that ill-ridden citizens visited so they could be cured by the healing god Asclepius.

A beautiful garden with herbs, cedar trees, and fruit trees surrounds the center. Aiming to discover the brilliance of ancient Greek philosophy, seminars are frequently organized, and artistic performances take place in the theatre, known as Dancing Satyr's Theatre.

Goddess Demeter’s Museum houses frescoes from ancient vessels and a collection of old farming tools, some of which were found in the area where the garden is now located. The vineyard “Eros” is where grapes of the Argiotiko variety are cultivated, while the Temple of Apollo stands out amidst the green landscape, identifiable by its Ionic columns.

The Hippocrates Garden Cultural Centre is open every day from April til November, from 09:00 to 18:00. During the off-season, it is open only for school visits after an appointment.

Official website: hippocratesgarden.gr