Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos


Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos

aegean maritime museum in MykonosThe Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos (a non-profit institution) was built in 1983 and its main purpose represents the preservation, study of Greek maritime history and tradition, as well as promoting those values.

Its founder, the Myconian George M. Drakopoulos, was honoured with the Athens Academy Award and with the World Ship Trust’s Award for Individual Achievement. He was also the chairman of the Museum’s board of Trustees.

The old building of the museum dates from the 19th century and is located in the area known as Tria Pigadia situated in the center of the town of Mykonos. The building is connected with famous names such as: the legendary Master of the merchant ship “Enosis”, Nikolaos Sourmelis, who fought together with the Cretans in the war of independence against the Ottoman Empire.

The Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos was the first museum in Greece that rescued and preserved intact living historical exhibits that are displayed in the exact manner as they were originally designed and built: the “Armenistis” lighthouse (built in 1890),  the cable-lying ship “Thalis o Milesios” (built in 1909), and the sailing ship “Evangelistria” (built in 1940).

Among the exhibition of the museum the visitors may watch: models of ships dating from the pre-Minoan period up to the beginning of the twentieth century, engravings, ancient artifacts, historical shipping documents,  tools and equipment, navigational instruments, and an impressive ancient collection of coins consisting of nautical subjects. The museum also has an ancient library which hosts a collection of 5,000 rare volumes and archives of manuscripts. Ancient marble gravestones may be seen in the garden of the museum dealing with sailors that were lost during shipwrecks.

The Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos participates in conferences, international exhibitions and was also known in many festivities such as: the Hellenic Navy for the “Maritime Week”.

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