Piraeus: Plans for Underwater Antiquities Museum Get Approval

Greece’s Council of Museums has given the green light for the establishment of an Underwater Museum of Antiquities in the facilities of the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) on the coastal front of Piraeus.

According to an announcement by the Greek Culture Ministry, the council unanimously approved the preliminary architectural and structural plans for the conversion of a 1934 silo of the PPA into a museum.

The new museum’s premises will exceed 13,000sq.m. and be divided into galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions; facilities for educational programs, science activities (amphitheater, library, multimedia) and preservation workshops; visitor areas (reception, cloakroom, shop, cafe/restaurant, medical facilities), and administration offices.

It will also house findings from Greek seas including statues, parts of sculptures, ship equipment, weapons, inscriptions, toiletries, ceramics and more.

The Museum of Underwater Antiquities will also offer visitors the opportunity to “dive” into the past and “visit” submerged settlements, shipwrecks and ancient cargoes; study maps and diagrams; use digital applications and attend relevant screenings.

“The unique wealth of Greek seas will soon find its place in the old silo – the ideal place to host a number of already preserved underwater antiquities that remain in the warehouses of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities for years,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said.

According to Mendoni, the museum will also highlight the connection between Greek sea and culture.

“There are few museums in the world exhibiting exclusively marine antiquities. The Underwater Antiquities Museum will place Piraeus among the world’s international cultural destinations,” she added.