The Folklore Museum of Komotini, in Agios Georgios Street, belongs to the Komotini Cultural Club (MOK) and has been operating since 1962. Since 1989 it has been housed in the Peidis Mansion. The building was a bourgeois residence of the Peidis family and dates from around 1870. It is a typical example of folk architecture typical of the entire Southern Balkan area. In the 1980s it was restored in an exemplary manner with funding from the Ministry of Culture. The Museum also owns the mansion located opposite, which once belonged to the Psarras family and dates from the same period, featuring the same architectural style. Other activities of the MOK are housed there.
Through its exhibits, the liveliness and beauty of Thracian art of the cities and the countryside gushes forth. The objects of its rich collection are spread over two floors, the basement and the courtyard shed. The traditional costumes, intricate embroideries, and refined works of art in copper, wood, clay, and silver, along with agricultural tools, implements of traditional trades, and carefully preserved household utensils, offer a vivid and authentic glimpse into the cultural heritage of Greek Thrace. Many of these items originate not only from Greek Thrace but also from Eastern and Northern Thrace, as well as unforgettable regions of Asia Minor. The personal heirlooms of Archbishop Chrysanthos of Trebizond (born in Komotini), a large 18th-century icon depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Anne and the Prophets, as well as a silver reliquary of excellent art, hold a special place.
The premises of the MOK house a rich collection of objects that reflect the lifestyle of the local population in various periods. The exhibits, such as clothes, lace, handmade textiles, copper, wood, clay and silver handicrafts, tools of rural life and household use, have been carefully collected and revive the traditional activities and skills of the people of Thrace. Many of them come from Eastern and Northern Thrace, as well as from regions of Asia Minor. The personal heirlooms of Archbishop Chrysanthos of Trebizond (born in Komotini), a large 18th-century icon depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Anne and the Prophets, as well as a silver reliquary of excellent art, hold a special place.
