SantoriniDave.com

Samouelian Musical Instruments in Athens, Greece

Greece › Athens › Best Shops & Galleries › Samouelian Musical Instruments
Updated: October 3, 2022
By Santorini Dave

See Also

Beautifully-inlaid Greek bouzouki instruments displayed on a shelf

Best Athens Tours and Tickets:
• Athens Pass Combo Ticket (7 archaeological sites + Acropolis Museum.)
• Original Athens Gourmet Food Tour
• Athens City Highlights Private Tour
• Athens Street Art Tour

Samouelian Musical Instruments Hours and Information

  • Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 11am-6pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11am-8pm.
  • Website: samouelian.gr
  • Location: Ifestou 36
  • Telephone: +30 210 321 2433
  • Email: info@samouelian.gr
  • Social Media: Instagram, Facebook
  • Nearest Metro: Monastiraki

Samouelian Musical Instruments Shop in Athens

Music lovers will not be disappointed in this family-run gem, owned by the inspirational and hospitable Giannis Samouelian. A 3rd-generation instrument maker, Giannis is also an accomplished modern and traditional musician who has taught at the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts educational institution.

Originally from Armenia, the Samouelian family’s journey into Greece and the instrument making business is one of hardship and triumph. In 1915, Giannis’ grandfather’s family (including Giannis’ father) fled the Armenian Genocide into Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey today) only to have to flee again after the Burning of Smyrna in 1922 when they escaped into Greece. With no land and no money, Giannis’ grandfather (a musician) started making musical instruments to sell. Thus started the family business of Samouelian Musical Instruments, still at its original 1928 Monastiraki location with renovations done to the building after a fire in 1953.

A man stands in the open doorway of a musical instrument shop

Giannis Samouelian in his Monastiraki shop.

Today, Giannis operates his shop with both his sons at his side, learning from the best in the business. All of the shop’s Greek instruments are handmade by Giannis and his sons; these include the stringed instruments bouzouki, baglamas, tzouras, and laouto. A wide variety of guitars, violins, woodwind instruments, amplifiers, and accessories are also available. Online shopping and international shipping are available.

Located approximately 150 meters from Monastiraki Square. Follow the pedestrian walkway under the “Athens Flea Market” sign next to the Monastiraki metro station building; it’s a short 130-meter walk from there.

Two people look in the window of a musical instruments shop on a busy pedestrian shopping street

Since 1928, the Samouelian Musical Instruments shop has been located in the Monastiraki area of Athens.

Rows of guitars and other stringed instruments on display in a small shop.

The shop sells a wide variety of stringed instruments, as well as woodwinds, amplifiers, and accessories.

A framed photograph of a man hangs on a wall

The 3rd-generation shop owner, Giannis Samouelian, inherited the family business from his father…

Framed black and white portrait of a man, hanging on a wall

…who inherited it from Giannis’ grandfather, who first opened the shop in 1928 after fleeing the Armenian Genocide.

A row of beautifully-inlaid Greek stringed instruments

Today, Giannis and his sons handcraft the beautiful Greek stringed instruments that are sold in the shop. These include the bouzouki, baglamas, tzouras, and laouto.

Greek stringed instrument with beautiful and colorful inlay in a butterfly design

Guitars and other stringed instruments hanging high on a shop wall

Beautifully-inlaid Greek stringed instruments hang on a wall

Round-bottomed Greek stringed instruments hang in a row on a shop wall

Violins hanging on a shop wall

Rows of guitars and other stringed instruments in a music shop

The Samouelian Instrument shop is open Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am-6pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11am-8pm.

Sign for the Monastiraki Flea Market, hung across a pedestrian alleyway

To find the shop, follow the pedestrian shopping alley under the “Athens Flea Market” sign next to the Monastiraki metro station building; from there it’s a short 130-meter walk, located on the right.

Read More

About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loves Greece and Europe, travel and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece, offering recommendations for top hotels, neighborhoods, and family-friendly hotels worldwide. Dave can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.