From Monday 3 August to Thursday 2 October visitors will be able to admire the underwater exhibits from the famous shipwreck of the 5th century BC.
It opens its gates on Saturday, August 1st, in Alonissos, the first underwater museum in Greece, being a real reference point not only for the Sporades but for the whole country.
The underwater museum, which was located very close to the shores of the uninhabited island of Peristera and a stone’s throw from the east coast of Alonissos, will welcome its first visitors on August 1st, when the inauguration will take place from Monday, August 3rd to Thursday. On October 2, visitors will be able to admire the exhibits -on the bottom- from the famous shipwreck of the 5th century BC.
The diving will be done either by free-amateur divers or with the accompaniment of divers from diving centers and the opening trigger will be given -with diving- the governor of Thessaly, Costas Agorastos, together with the singer Sakis Rouvas, in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni on the opening day.
The famous shipwreck, which is considered one of the most important in classical antiquity due to its intact and large number of finds, was discovered in 1985 by a fisherman from Alonissos, near the west rocky coast of Peristera, at a depth of 28 meters. It was a large merchant ship of that time, probably an Athenian, which is estimated to have fallen into great bad weather and sank there around 425 BC. The ship seems to have been loaded with thousands of wine amphorae from Peparithos (today’s Skopelos) and Mendi (ancient city of Halkidiki), two areas well known in antiquity for their excellent quality wine. According to the experts, the pile of amphorae, which extends to the bottom at a length of 25 meters, gives the feeling of the contour and the large dimensions of the ship.
The shipwreck is located at a depth between 21 and 28 meters above sea level, within the protected area of the National Marine Park of Alonissos – Northern Sporades, which make the ancient shipwreck of Peristera an interesting destination for any experienced diver.
The access to the wonderful, wonderful and mysterious world of the seabed, however, will not only concern the friends of diving, but will also be addressed to all the visitors of Alonissos, who will alternatively have the desire to see the exhibits of the shipwreck, but without entering the sea. This can happen, since in Alonissos Town the interested visitors will be welcomed by the Public Information and Awareness Center, with all the information about the history of the ancient shipwrecks and the possibility for the visitor to dive to the bottom and tour the shipwrecks like a real diver , with augmented reality technology applications.
The opening and operation of the shipwreck of Peristera as a visitable marine archaeological site from Saturday, August 1st is the result of cooperation between the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Thessaly and the Municipality of Alonissos.
The project was prepared in the framework of the BLUEMED cross-border cooperation program and will continue with the funding of the Thessaly RDP until 2023. The project – “station”, which is expected to establish Greece on the “map” of global diving tourism, has already won significant awards from the European Union, has been presented by leading international media such as the New York Times, Lonely Planet, Daily Mail, Travel & Leisure and last October was presented in Brussels.
