Projects

The groundbreaking Virtual Reality productions created and presented in the specially designed Virtual Reality Theatres of the «Hellenic Cosmos» Cultural Centre – "Tholos", "Kivotos", and "Virtual Cinema" – as well as through Virtual Reality Headsets, include the following impressive experiences:

Hagia Sophia: 1,500 Years of History

A monument-symbol of global cultural heritage. A state-of-the-art Tholos Virtual Reality theatre. Years of thorough scientific research by the staff and scientific collaborators of the Foundation of the Hellenic World. These elements compose the "setting" of the new interactive Virtual Reality production "Hagia Sophia: 1,500 Years of History," which is a complete digital representation of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and was specifically created for the Virtual Reality theatre "Tholos" of the «Hellenic Cosmos» Cultural Centre.

 

 

Viewers are invited on a unique journey of discovery. A captivating tour for young and old alike, in which visitors are not merely observers but participate in various scenarios and explorations. The interior of the temple, its architectural design, sculptural and mosaic decorations are fully detailed, while the various construction phases of the monument and significant historical, social, and economic aspects of Byzantine life are presented. This new interactive production offers the public the opportunity to visit this iconic site and observe it as it was during its prime.

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Interactive Tour of the Sanctuary of Delphi

Visit the "Tholos" and travel to the famous oracle of ancient Greece, the Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi, the navel of the Earth.

The history of Delphi is lost in the prehistory and myths of ancient Greeks. Using new technologies, viewers will have the opportunity to virtually explore the Sacred site of Delphi, to get to know and admire its most important monuments and buildings, such as the Sphinx of the Naxians, the dedications of Athenians, Spartans, and Arcadians, as well as the treasury of the Athenians and the Siphnians.

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Interactive Tour of the Monastery of Agios Loukas

Visit the "Tholos" and virtually tour the Monastery of Agios Loukas in Boeotia. Thanks to the new technologies offered by the Tholos, you will have the chance to admire the monument of the Byzantine culture, of utmost religious, historical, and archaeological significance, and learn about Agios Loukas, the great healing Saint of the Orthodox Church and founder of the homonymous Monastery in Steiri, Boeotia. The Holy Monastery, a reference point of global Christian art, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

On this journey, viewers follow two virtual characters, a monk and a traveler, and learn about the significant milestones of the Saint's life through a narrative of his biography, simultaneously visualized for the first time with contemporary Byzantine illustration by the iconographer Mr. Giannoulis Lyberopoulos.

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XR Experience "In the House of Ergoharis"

Experience an interactive Extended Reality (XR) experience "In the House of Ergoharis," an ancient Athenian house of the 5th century BC.

Thanks to the innovative technology of the Bridges research program, which offers a multisensory (visual, auditory, and tactile) experience, visitors can explore an ancient Greek house guided by the experienced staff of the "Hellenic Cosmos."

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The Workshop of Phidias

Visitors can virtually explore the Workshop of the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias in Ancient Olympia at the «Hellenic Cosmos» Cultural Centre of the Foundation of the Hellenic World, using state-of-the-art VR headsets and with expert guidance from the Museum Educators.

They enjoy an accurate representation of the Workshop space, as well as the chryselephantine statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. They become "assistants" to the sculptor Phidias, following step by step the process he used to create the chryselephantine statue of Zeus.

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PalaeoScope

Discover what Attica looked like from the rock of the Acropolis 70 million years ago to 1874 AD through the PalaeoScope program.

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War and Peace

With the use of VR headsets, the visitor is transported to the past of the Holy Monastery of Hosios Loukas to experience an intense and unique immersive experience. The approach followed is that of narrative immersion, where the user is immersed in the plot of a story, similar to how a reader is engaged with a book or a viewer with a movie.

The experience "War and Peace" aims to shed light on selected moments of the monastery's long history, historical moments connected mainly with warlike events, but also moments of peaceful daily life, which the Monastery and the surrounding area certainly knew.

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Interactive Tour of the Acropolis of Athens (circa 5th century B.C.)

Enter the "Tholos" and travel to Athens of the 5th century BC, where all the buildings on the "Sacred Rock" are reconstructed before your eyes in full detail, at their actual scale and dimensions. Using new technologies, the viewer will have the opportunity to admire the most architecturally complex buildings of the Acropolis, such as the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, as well as the statues that adorned them in 3D and in their original colors as they were created.

Additionally, temples and statues that have not survived to this day are presented, such as the Arrhephorion, the Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus, the Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia, the Chalkotheke, the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon with the chryselephantine statue of the goddess Athena, and others.

Teams of specialists, painters, 3D modelers, programmers, and archaeologists developed 3D models of each building. Subsequently, scientists from the Foundation of the Hellenic World adapted the projection for the needs of the "Tholos" and, with the help of Professor of Classical Archaeology Panos Valavanis, offer visitors to the "Hellenic Cosmos" a breathtaking experience, where the viewer explores the magnificent temples while learning about the history of the Sacred Rock, thanks to the fascinating live guidance provided by the Museum Educators of the Foundation of the Hellenic World.

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Interactive Tour of the Ancient Agora of Athens

Visitors are guided through the space of the Ancient Agora and, with the guidance of a specialized Museum Educator, have the opportunity to choose their own path. The reconstruction of the Agora at three different moments in its history allows the visitor to understand its evolution over time and the changes in its functions from one era to another, as reflected in its architectural and urban modifications.

In the classical Agora (around 400 BC), the importance of public administrative buildings and the existence of a large open space for gatherings and athletic activities is emphasized. In the Hellenistic period (around 150 BC), the large commercial buildings (stoas) dominate, and emphasis is placed on the beneficent actions of the Hellenistic rulers. Finally, the Roman image of the Agora (around 150 AD) reflects its gradual weakening as a center of administration and commerce, a fact that allowed room for the development of its religious and cultural character, with the erection of new temples, a conservatory, a library, and a nymphaeum.

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 Athena in the Ancient Agora

The journey begins from the Archaic period, starting from the Agora of Athens, which was destroyed during the Persian Wars. With the help of the goddess Athena, who emerges from a rock, the viewers are transported to the Classical period and tour the buildings that were rebuilt in the Agora. By using the controller provided at each seat, the viewers participate in the construction of the Stoa of Attalos.

Next, they observe the procession of the Panathenaic Games and vote in the ostracism of 416 BC. During the Hellenistic period, they witness the construction of the Stoa of Attalos, while the Temple of the Monopteros is the starting point for reaching the Roman period. Through the amphora, which originally served as the medium for this time-travel journey, the viewers return to the present, to the timeless values and ideals that were born in the Ancient Agora and are now part of the world heritage.

Event in the Ancient Agora

A complex theatrical event, where Virtual Reality projection is combined with the action of the actors. The participation of the viewers is essential for the progression of the event, which concerns the religious, commercial, and civic functions that were carried out in the Agora area.

A Walk Through Ancient Olympia

The production offers a comprehensive tour of the sacred site of ancient Olympia in the 2nd century BC. Monuments and sacred buildings come to life, giving visitors the opportunity to become "participants" in the events and rituals of the Olympic Games and to learn about the history of the city: The Temple of Zeus, a model of a Doric peripteral temple with a wonderful sculptural decoration, the Heraion, the oldest monumental building in the sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Hera, the Gymnasium, which served for the training of javelin throwers, discus throwers, and runners, the Palaestra, where wrestlers, long jumpers, and boxers trained, the Leonidaion, where official visitors stayed, the Bouleuterion, where athletes, relatives, and judges took an oath to respect the rules of the Games, the Stadium, where most events took place, the Treasuries of various cities, where valuable offerings were stored, and the Philippieion, dedicated by King Philip II of Macedon after his victory at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC.

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Phidias' Workshop in Olympia

This interactive virtual experience transports visitors to the workshop of the sculptor Phidias in Olympia. Inside, there is a faithful representation of the famous statue of Zeus, along with the sculptor's tools, materials, and molds. During the production, young visitors become assistants to the sculptor, use his tools, and participate in the creation of the statue. This activity offers visitors an exciting experience. Through their active participation, they gain valuable information about the tools, materials, and how they were processed, about the methods of applying materials in the creation of the statue, about the process followed by the sculptor, and finally about ancient Olympia and the Olympic Games.

The Temple of Zeus in Olympia

The Temple of Zeus has been digitally reconstructed with accuracy, allowing many of its architectural details to be distinguished. Visitors can admire the Labors of Hercules on the metopes and the famous pediments depicting the battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs. The digital model of the temple has been enriched with the surrounding area of the ancient Altis, attempting a free interpretation of the lush landscape of Olympia and the Cronion hill that framed the temple. Inside the temple, there is a "virtual" representation of the famous statue of Zeus, created by the sculptor Phidias, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, from which nothing survives today.

A Walk Through Ancient Miletus

This production offers a tour of the peninsula and the city of Miletus as it was two thousand years ago. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the virtual city and get to know its most important public buildings. Starting from the Gate at the Port of the Lions, they enter the sanctuary of Apollo Delphinios. Next, they visit the Ionic Stoa, which housed the city's shops, the Hellenistic Gymnasium, the Northern Agora, and the Bouleuterion, even distinguishing the architectural details of the buildings. They can "fly" over the city for a final panoramic view of its perfect urban design, and even "dive" into its harbor.

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Journey to Ancient Priene

The Ionian city of Priene, an excellent example of Hellenistic architecture, is another Virtual Reality experience developed by the staff of the Foundation. The digital reconstruction of the city's public buildings, residences, and surrounding area has already begun.

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Assemble the Vases!

In this interactive game, a vase with depictions of Olympic sports breaks, and young visitors, by joining the virtual fragments, reconstruct it and see the depictions come to life before their eyes. In this way, they actively and creatively participate in the construction of famous vases, while also learning about popular Olympic sports and athletes from Antiquity.

Magical Wardrobe

The Greek clothing during the Classical and Byzantine periods is the subject of the educational Virtual Reality production "Magical Wardrobe". This is a set of interactive experiences aimed at children, with the goal of bringing to life the magical world of Greek attire in a way that resembles a fairytale.

With Sails Open... on the Waves of History

With the trireme as the axis, the replica of an ancient warship stationed in the open space of the "Hellenic Cosmos", a Virtual Reality application is developed in which young visitors are guided by an ancient bireme. The application is part of the educational program of the same name, which deals with myths and stories of the sea.

Reconstruct the Asclepius Sanctuary of Ancient Messene

The temple of Asclepius in ancient Messene, an important worship center during the Hellenistic period, is the subject of this Virtual Reality production. This interactive tour presents the process of the virtual "reconstruction" of the temple and allows visitors to manipulate individual architectural elements and experiment with different architectural assumptions.

Eureka! Stories from Archimedes

Archimedes, one of the greatest figures in ancient Greek mathematics and generally in ancient and medieval science, is highlighted in this program. Through interactive virtual experiments, visitors learn about the theorem for calculating the volume of a sphere combined with the law of balance of the balance, the principle of hydrostatics, and the famous "Eureka", the invention of the screw for transferring water from a lower to a higher level, the story of the parabolic mirrors, and the clamps used to overturn Roman ships. The production is developed as part of the exhibition "Is There a Solution to Everything? A Journey into the World of Ancient Greek Mathematics".

Searching for Liquid Gold

In this production, young visitors can virtually and uniquely experience the operation of an old olive press. In this special olive press, not only do they learn about the traditional olive oil production process, but they also "live" it, as they can operate the press that produces the oil or, with the push of a button, shrink to the size of an olive and enter inside it!