Description of the attraction
The Greek Maritime Museum in Piraeus is the largest maritime museum in Greece. The exposition of the museum tells about the history of the creation and development of the Greek Navy from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum was opened in 1949, but the idea of its creation was announced by the naval captain Zochios back in 1867. Actually, his collection laid the foundation for the modern maritime museum.
Today the museum has more than 2000 exhibits, the oldest of which date back to the 8th millennium BC. The exposition is located in nine rooms in chronological order, which makes it possible to trace in detail the history of the development of maritime affairs in Greece. The museum displays models of ancient and modern ships of various sizes, ship cannons and other weapons, navigation equipment, tools, flags, medals, naval uniforms, etc. There is also a marine art gallery in the museum, which exhibits works by famous Greek artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Much attention in the museum is paid to the period of the Greek War of Independence. A separate place in the exhibition is occupied by a fragment of the wall, which was built around Piraeus under Themistocles in the 5th century BC.
The museum has a unique specialized library, which contains more than 10,000 volumes on the maritime theme. There are also extensive archival materials (including photo and video documents) and about 200 maps from the 16th to the 20th century. The library is open to visitors.
The Greek Maritime Museum is a member of the International Congress of Maritime Museums and actively participates in national and world congresses and exhibitions.
