Greece opens its underwater museum near an ancient era shipwreck site

Greece has opened its first-ever underwater museum near an ancient era shipwreck site. According to a report by The Guardian, this museum has been labelled as a “pantheon of shipwrecks”.

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The first underwater museum in Greece

As per the report, this underwater museum was open for armature divers from 3rd August to 2nd October. It is at present only open for certified divers. But the government of Greece has ensured that each tourist gets a chance to explore this new wonderful tourist attraction. Those who cannot dive can take a virtual reality tour to the marine park. This virtual tour will be available from the information centre situated in the town of Alonissos.

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The museum was inaugurated on Saturday, 1st August 2020. Culture minister Lina Mendoni and other officials were present at the inauguration, as per the report. The unique marine park is situated on the coast of Alonissos island in the western Aegean area. The museum is based near a shipwreck from the ancient Greek era. The marine museum has an interesting history. It is situated near the wreck of a large merchant ship from the fifth or fourth century B.C. According to National Geographic,  a local fisherman named Dimitris Mavrikis found this wreck first in 1985. It was later further excavated by archaeologist Elida Hatzidaki who offered more information about the items found from the wreck.

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This ship was carrying 400 wine amphoras or large jars to carry wine from the ancient cities Mende and Peparethus in ancient Greece. Additionally, black-glazed pottery tableware needed for symposia or lavish Greek banquets were also present.

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The modern marine park is based on the shipwreck site. Divers can visit this place and find a clue about the ancient Greek culture which is nearly 2500 years old.  The divers can also get a firsthand experience of the marine life forms including corals of different colors, schooling fishes, sponges, and moray eels living near the shipwreck. The wreck, which is situated 50 meters down, can offer divers a proper view of the marine ecosystem alongside some examples of Greece's rich history.

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Kostas Esstathiou, a local tour operator and diving instructor, said to National Geographic in an interview that this diving experience is like a time travel journey for the divers. He was excited about this new addition to the tourist spots of Greece. A lot of divers and enthusiasts have expressed their interest in this unique underwater museum in Alonissos.