The National Library of Greece

The National Library of Greece is situated near the center of Athens City. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Athens City.

The Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen is the one who designed it. As part of his famous Trilogy of Neo-Classical Buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens University. Note worthily, Ioannis Kapodistrias is the founder.

The original idea for establishing the National Library was from the philhellene Johann Jakob Mayer. As a result of a newspaper article by Mayer, Ioannis Kapodistrias grouped the National Library as one project with other intellectual institutions such as schools, national museums, and printing houses.

The National Library has 4,500 Greek Manuscripts which is one of the greatest collection of Greek scripts. There are also many chrysobulls and archives of the Greek Revolution.

Important to mention is that among the library’s holdings is a Codex of the Four Gospels attributed to the scribe Matthew. Also, a uncial codex with a fragment Gospel of Matthew from the 6th century, Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana by English botanist John Sibthorp; Rigas’ Chart by Rigas Velestinlis. most impresivly there are The Large Etymological Dictionary, a historic Byzantine dictionary; and the First Publication of Homer’s epics and hymns.