The European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (EKBMM) is inviting us to embark on a fascinating e- journey to Byzantium, open to all through the access -free platform “Exploring the Byzantine world” (www.exploringbyzantium.gr). Providing digital interactive services for education and the promotion of Byzantine culture the new portal offers to students and adults, tourists and web visitors, specialists or not, a unique chance: to get acquainted to the Byzantine world, especially to the everyday life of people, in a way both interesting and reliable.

“The presentations that will follow will prove beyond doubt that the new Digital Interactive Service by EKBMM stands as a model presentation for citizens, scholars, students around the world, as well as a point of reference to reliable and authenticated information on Byzantine culture”, stated the Centre’s director, Dr Anastasia Tourta.

The portal offers four distinct services:

1. Three multimedia cultural trails: “Discover, travel and learn about Byzantine cities and monuments”. Visitors can get all valuable information (on geography, history, art and archaeology) about Byzantine monuments. Also, in every trail the visitor is invited to “tour” a monument’s virtual reality. These three monuments are St Stephanos’ church in Kastoria, Christ’s church in Veroia and Panaghia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki.

2. Thematic Essays: “Learn about various aspects of everyday life in Byzantium”. Here information is adjusted to three different groups: specialists, students, and general audience. Besides Internet, the information is also accessible at the infokiosks installed in the Byzantine and Christian Museum (Athens) and the Byzantine Culture Museum (Thessaloniki).

3. Educational activities: “Play and discover Byzantium”.

Four games address children of 5-8 years of age and another four games target children of 9-14 years old.

4. Three Podcasts: “Listen and learn about Byzantine life and culture”.