“Thalassa”, Agia Napa Municipal Museum

“Thalassa”, the Municipal Museum of the Sea in Agia Napa has been created in collaboration with Pierides Foundation, in order to link the island of Cyprus with the sea, which has a tremendous impact upon the development of indigenous civilization, from prehistoric times to present.
Located at the centre of Agia Napa, the presence of the Museum in its multi-purpose design serves to display sea artifacts, host symposia, corporate events and concerts, traveling art exhibitions, and to conduct a variety of entertaining, scholarly and educational programmes where the audiences could actively participate.

The main display of the Museum, it is the “Kerynia II”, a life-size replica of the ancient ship “Kyrenia”. The “Kyrenia Ship” is a Mediterranean trading ship, which it was built in the early 4th century B.C. and is the oldest Greek vessel ever discovered. Andreas Kariolou who was seeking for sponges accidentally discovered it, in 30-meter-deep waters off the coast of the town Kyrenia on Cyprus in 1967. Among the cargo recovered were approximately 400 amphorae for wine and olive oil carrying, and for the storage of almonds.

Another attraction of the Museum is an exact replica of a Mesolithic (9200 B.C.) papyrus raft, which was used in antiquity to transport obsidians from Greek islands into the mainland. The location alsos houses a varied collection of statues, idols and vases covering the different historical periods of Cyprus (9000 B.C. to 1878 A.D.).
Besides the historical exhibits, sculptures, engravings, ceramics and paintings of seascapes are displayed, made by some of the greatest 19th and 20th century Greek and Cypriot artists. In addition, displays include audio-visual panels, models and interactive exhibits.

An attractive designed cafeteria, a museum shop, an open air amphitheatre and two exhibition halls for periodic shows and seminars supplement this very contemporary museum complex in the seaside resort of Agia Napa.