Description of the attraction
On the northwestern coast of Santorini (Thira) in the city of Oia, there is an interesting Maritime Museum, which was founded in 1956 at the initiative of the captain of the Greek merchant fleet Antonias Dakaronias. Since 1990, the museum has been housed in an old 19th century mansion that previously belonged to the Birbil family. This architectural structure was specially restored (after the earthquake of 1956) and converted into a museum.
The museum exposition perfectly illustrates the history and maritime traditions of the island. The island reached its peak of economic prosperity in the late 19th - early 20th century thanks to its own fleet and good trade relations throughout the Mediterranean, as well as trade with Russia.
The exposition of the museum is very diverse and entertaining. The collection includes models of ancient and modern ships, nautical tools and tackle, old naval equipment and ship fragments, nautical uniforms, nautical sketches and paintings, compasses, blueprints and much more. The museum also displays portraits and personal belongings of famous local sailors. A separate place in the museum's exposition is occupied by an excellent collection of photographs, among which there are pictures depicting ship crews, schoolchildren in naval uniforms, ceremonies for launching new ships, building shipyards, as well as landscapes of the island of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Maritime Museum has its own library, which contains important historical documents, ship logs, nautical charts and specialized literature. The collection of the museum is constantly expanding.
The main goal of the museum is to popularize the maritime history and traditions of Greece in general and the island of Santorini in particular.
