Kos Archaeological Museum

The Kos Archaeological Museum occupies an Italian-built structure on the main square of Kos Town. The collection covers the history of the island from prehistoric times through the Roman period, with strengths in Hellenistic and Roman sculpture found during the inter-war excavations.

Highlights include several fine mosaics, a good collection of Greek and Roman pottery, and the celebrated Hippocrates statue. The museum is not large and can be covered in an hour. It provides good context for a subsequent visit to the Asklepion or the Ancient Agora. Entry fee is modest; closed on Mondays.

things to do museum
A story
The museum's most prized possession is a large 2nd-century marble statue of Hippocrates — though this is somewhat ironic, since no portrait of Hippocrates made during his lifetime survives and all subsequent depictions are imaginative reconstructions. The 'traditional' bearded image of the father of medicine is a Roman-era idealised philosopher type, applied retroactively. The statue is nonetheless beautiful and the star exhibit of a solid provincial museum.

Other places in Things to Do