The first underwater museum of ancient antiquities appeared in Greece

The museum, called the Parthenon of Shipwrecks, opened on August 1, 2020. The year 2020 never ceases to amaze with new formats of public interaction with the art world.

Last Saturday, August 1, off the coast of the island of Alonissos, located in the western part of the Aegean Sea, the inauguration of the first of its kind underwater museum of ancient antiquities took place. The exhibition, organized at the site of the wreck of an ancient ship, displays a large number of amphorae dating back to the 5th century. BC.

According to the chairman of the Municipal Council of Alonissos Maria Agalou, in total, there are about 3-4 thousand such amphorae on the ship that sank at a depth of 21-28 meters off the coast of the island. Experts believe that the sunken ship wrecked around 425 BC, transported thousands of amphorae of wine from Halkidiki in Northern Greece and the island of Skopelos. According to experts, it was a rather impressive ship for that time. During the shipwreck, almost all amphoras, including the unique rarities of ancient Greece, were damaged but were restored by specialists.

The special value of the museum’s exposition is given by the almost complete preservation of antique amphorae and the opportunity to view them from the closest possible distance.

The museum will be open to certified divers throughout the diving season, from 3 August to 2 October this year. For those who want to see the collection, but do not have a diving certificate, virtual excursions will be organized. They will take place in the information center of Alonissos.

According to media reports, the first excursion groups of divers from the UK are arriving at the museum today. At the opening ceremony of the museum, representatives of the Greek authorities also announced plans to create a large-scale diving park, which will include several wrecks of ancient ships at once.