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Museum of Greek Popular Instruments

2E6AXR9 Detail of a 19th century laghouto, or lute, inlaid with ivory and tortoise shell, displayed at the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments (MELMOKE) in Athens February 15, 2015. Tucked away in a corner of Athens' historic Plaka district is the small MELMOKE where visitors are treated to rows of wood and bone flutes, pottery drums called toumbeleki, and gaida - bagpipes made of sheep or goat skins. The laghouto is said to have been made by luthier Manolis Venios of Constantinople (present day Istanbul), a master craftsman whose works now sell for many thousands of dollars. Picture taken Februa 2E6AXR9 MUSIC, GREECE, MUSEUM

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A single avid ethnomusicologist collected almost 1200 folk instruments; the best are on display in three floors of this house-turned-museum. Headphones let visitors listen to the gaïda (Greek goatskin bagpipes) and the wood planks that priests on Mt Athos use to call prayer times, among other distinctly Greek sounds. Musical performances are held in the lovely garden in summer.

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