Soufli was once one of the most important centers of silk production in Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The museum is housed in the Kourtidis family home, a significant example of the town's urban heritage architecture.
Silkworm cultivation in the region is uniquely dependent on the white mulberry tree, which provides the necessary diet for the larvae.
The museum demonstrates the 'coconaki' (cocoon storage) methods that were essential to protecting the raw material before processing.
It preserves the history of 'metaxourgeia' (silk mills), where local women played a central role in the labor-intensive reeling process.
The facility showcases the transition from manual, household-based reeling to the mechanized production methods that emerged in the 20th century.
The Art of Silk Museum in Soufli occupies the historic Kourtidis mansion, a 19th-century residence reflecting the town's prominence in the global silk trade. The museum chronicles the sericulture cycle from the hatching of silkworm eggs to the processing of cocoons. Visitors observe the extraction of silk threads using traditional hand-operated equipment alongside industrial weaving tools. The facility explains the socioeconomic impact of the silk industry on the Evros region during the Ottoman and post-Ottoman eras. Exhibits include raw cocoons, finished silk fabrics, and traditional looms. The museum is a project of the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, which oversees a network of industrial heritage sites in Greece. It functions as a specialized center for the preservation of Greek sericulture techniques. The architectural restoration of the mansion preserves original elements of the local neoclassical building style.
The interior atrium and the restored wooden staircase within the main mansion foyer.
Combine your visit with a walking tour of Soufli to see other preserved silk-era mansions nearby.
Inquire at the front desk about local workshops, which are occasionally offered during the high season.
Allow extra time to browse the museum shop, which carries authentic, locally produced silk items.
Do not confuse this museum with other private local commercial silk workshops that primarily serve as retail showrooms.
Typically closed on Tuesdays.
