People visit exhibits at OTE Telecommunications Museum, in Athens, Greece, on May 18, 2018. Greece celebrated the International Museum Day on Friday by providing free admission to visitors and hosting several special events at museums nationwide. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Greece celebrated the International Museum Day on Friday by providing free admission to visitors and several special events hosted at museums nationwide.
Thousands of Greeks and foreign tourists who flocked to Greek museums and cultural centers were offered guided tours, art workshops, educational programs and enjoyed concerts and theatrical performances, according to the Greek culture ministry.
The Telecommunications Museum of OTE Group, Greece's top telecommunications operator, which was designated by the Greek chapter of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) as the honored Greek museum for 2018, was at the heart of celebrations in Athens.
Officials and citizens interested in technological advancements visited the newly renovated premises of the Telecommunications Museum to take a trip to the history of telecommunications in Greece.
The museum's collection includes more than 3,400 items and rich archival material with more than 25,000 photos, documents, telegrams and maps, as well as audiovisual material, OTE's CEO Michael Tsamaz noted addressing the event.
"It was our duty to preserve this part of our heritage for future generations," he said, according to Greek national news agency AMNA.
Established in 1977 by ICOM to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, the International Museum Day has been steadily gaining momentum ever since.
In 2017, it garnered record-breaking participation, with more than 36,000 museums hosting events in some 156 countries, according to ICOM.
The theme of this year's celebration was "Hyperconnected museums: New Approaches, New Publics".
"Hyperconnectivity is a term invented in 2001 to describe the multiple means of communication we have today, such as face-to-face contact, email, instant messaging, telephone or the Internet. This global network of connections becomes each day more complex, diverse and integrated. In the hyperconnected world of today, museums join the trend," an ICOM press statement explained.
