Cretan museum wins European award

At the recent annual European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA), in Zagreb, Croatia, over the weekend the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Crete was honoured with a Special Commendation award.

The Judges  praised the museum for presenting a cutting-edge interpretation of the history and civilisation of Crete, focused on the rise and decline of the Minoan culture.

“The museum has become a huge social and cultural asset for the island, influencing tourism and the economy, while also helping the local community to interiorise a positive perception of science and culture,” they added.

The Ministry of Culture said judges praised the Museum's initiatives for “the dissemination of historical knowledge to different social groups through innovative activities.”

The event was attended by over 200 people from 29 European countries and is the longest running and most prestigious awards in Europe aiming to recognise excellence in European museums and to encourage innovative processes for the benefit of society.

The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) was founded in 1977 under the auspices of the Council of Europe, with the aim of recognising excellence in the European museum scene and encouraging innovative processes in a museum world which still took the more traditional view to focus exclusively on collections rather than on their use for the benefit of society.