Cartographic exhibition with Medieval maps

The Koumantareios Art Gallery in Sparta, branch of the National Art Gallery, is presenting a unique exhibition entitled Cartography of space and time: seen through the light of history and religious belief. The exhibition presents old maps of the broader region of Greece and will run until March 31st, 2014.

The exhibition includes representative samples of the European cartography from the 15th until the 19th century, taken from the collection of the professor Panagiotis N. Soukakos. Delicate, elaborate maps take visitors on a cartographic journey to the development of Hellenism through centuries, and demonstrate the primary role of eastern Mediterranean in the development of Western European civilization.

Visitors of the exhibition can admire various sections of monumental cartographic publications, maps of the lands and islands in the Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as historical and religious cartography of regions that were connected with mythological and historical facts, or mentioned in the Old and New Testament. A very interesting part of the exhibition is the satirical maps, using geography to criticize the political background of the time.

Where: Koumantareios Art Gallery, Paleologou and Thermopylon str, 123, Sparta
Visiting hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 08:00-15:00 and Wednesday: 10:00-15:00 & 18:00-21:00, Tuesday closed

Photos are from www.nationalgallery.gr