Caves or Caverns are natural voids in the ground. These special geological formations are the result of earthquakes and slow water erosion processes that sculpt the characteristic and often mesmerizing shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. Caves have offered shelter to mankind since the very early times and throughout history they have served as important worship places. Being often rich in anthropological findings and offering habitat to rare and endemic animal species, they, therefore, form an important part of our physical and cultural heritage.
There are more than 8.500 caves mapped in Greece to-date and new ones keep been discovered. Not all of them have been thoroughly explored and few of them are accessible in some organised way. Some of the most notable ones which are open to the public are the Paiania caves in Attica, Limnes and Diros in the Peloponnese, the cave of Psychro (Diktaion Antron) in Crete, the Monastery of Mega Spileo in Ahaia and the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse on the island of Patmos.The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
