The Aegean Maritime Museum is located in the center of Mykonos town, inside a 19th century building. It houses a collection of naval models from 1500 BC, inspired by the frescoes of Akrotiri, the ancient archaeological site of Santorini. Here you can admire the sailing evolution in the Aegean Sea: from Assyrian dinghies, from Egyptian sailing ships, to holkades, to the impressive war triremes of the fourth century BC. Ancient amphorae, nautical instruments on board, anchors, rudders and portraits are also exhibited. The museum also houses a small thematic library.
The building
The small museum is housed in the building that belonged to Captain Nikolaos Sourmelis, who contributed to the struggle of the Cretans against the Turks. It is an interesting 19th century building, built in the Cycladic style, which is worth a visit in itself.
The founder and his goal
George M. Drakopoulos, the founder and president of the Aegean Maritime Museum, received the Academy of Athens award and the World Ship Trust's Award for Individual Achievement for the foundation of the museum. It is a non-profit organization, founded in 1983 and open to the public in 1985. The association aims to undertake the conservation, promotion and study of Greek history and maritime tradition and specializes in the history of merchant ships of the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Maritime Museum was the first ever Greek museum to restore historical maritime finds and restore them to their original splendor.
What can I see in the museum?
The exhibits housed tell the story of navigation in the Aegean Sea, from antiquity to the contemporary age and testify to the great nautical history of the island. Famous for its models depicting ancient Greek boats, the Aegean Maritime Museum also collects archaeological finds, navigational instruments, amphorae, nautical instruments on board, anchors, rudders and portraits, ancient coins and maps. The thematic library houses over five thousand rare volumes and naval documents.
The Aegean Maritime Museum is also the only museum in Greece to have two museum ships: the Aegean Sea sailing boat "Evanghelistria" (built in 1940) and the steamship "Thalis o Milissios" (built in 1909), which have been saved, restored and are now fully functional, according to the technology of the time.
The garden of the Aegean Maritime Museum houses the Armenistis lighthouse, built in 1890 and awarded during the Paris Universal Exposition. You will be able to observe closely the authentic mechanism a jewel of technology for the time. In addition to the lighthouse, the museum garden houses a series of marble headstones by ancient sailors collected in the islands of Mykonos and Delos.
Information for the visit
The Aegean Maritime Museum is open from April 1st to November 1st
The entrance costs 4 euros