You can see a 2,500-year-old shipwreck close up at Greece’s first underwater museum

Underwater museum in Greece Pics: Reuters
Divers at the shipwreck (Picture: Reuters)

A new museum in Greece is giving visitors the chance to see every detail of a shipwreck from around 425 BC.

The attraction is the first underwater museum in the country and has been labelled the ‘Parthenon of Shipwrecks’.

Lucky guests will be able to look around the wreck, which lies off the coast of Alonissos island and Peristera – an uninhabited islet – in the Western Aegean.

To actually go underwater, you have to be a certified amateur diver but if you can’t dive, you can get the experience through a virtual reality tour at the information centre in Alonissos.

Five underwater cameras have also been installed to offer a livestream of the divers.

Divers work near the ancient shipwreck of Peristera islet, off the shores of the island of Alonnisos, Greece, July 17, 2020. Picture taken July 17, 2020. Kostas Katsioulis/Undersea Vision Surveillance System (NOUS) /Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Divers work near the ancient shipwreck (Picture: Reuters)

The main thing to see is the wreck of a large merchant ship, which is thought to have sunk because of bad weather in the 5th century.

It was carrying thousands of amphorae (which are two handled vases) of wine.

Amphorae are seen at the ancient shipwreck of Peristera islet, off the shores of the island of Alonnisos, Greece, June 25, 2020. Picture taken June 25, 2020. Kostas Katsioulis /Undersea Vision Surveillance System (NOUS) /Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
Some of the amphorae (Picture: Reuters)

Although the wine itself is long gone, the jugs have been incredibly well preserved at the bottom of the ocean and lay undiscovered until 1985, when some fishermen came across them.

It was then excavated by archaeologist Dr Elpida Hadjidaki in 1992-1993, 1999 and 2000-2001.

epa08577929 Peristera island (L), whre the shipwereck is located close to the shore and the straight as seen from Alonnisos island, Greece, 31 July 2020. The first underwater museum in Greece will be inaugurated on 01 August, in one of the most important shipwrecks of Classical Antiquity, between Alonissos island and the island of Peristera, central Aegean Sea. EPA/Alexander Beltes
Peristera island (L), whre the shipwereck is located close to the shore and the straight as seen from Alonnisos island (Picture: EPA)

The jugs help to show the form of the ship because of how they lie.

The site will open as a pilot scheme from 3 August to 2 October this year

If it is successful, there are plans to open three more ancient shipwrecks in Pagasetic gulf which date back to Classical and Byzantine times.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/04/greece-opens-first-underwater-museum-13080170/
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