A stunning replica of an ancient trireme will be displayed as the centerpiece of the new Greek Underwater Archaeology Museum, set to open its gates to visitors in 2026.
Housed in the port city of Piraeus’ iconic waterside silo dating back to the 1930s, the museum, still under construction, will showcase 2,500 artifacts, spanning from prehistoric times to World War II. The museum houses over 26,000 square meters of exhibition space along with another 7,750 square meters dedicated to displays.
“In 2026, after decades of delays, the Ministry of Culture will hand over the National Underwater Archaeology Museum to the Greek and international public,” Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture said recently. Describing the project as “emblematic,” Mendoni added that the museum has been funded with 100 million euros ($105,821,500 million) from Greece’s Recovery Fund and that it will “bridge a big gap in history, archaeology, and the showcasing of the cultural wealth of Greek seas.”
Α 23-meter trireme replica the standout feature of the museum
Passing along a 750-meter route, visitors will come across the trireme replica, which will be the standout feature of the museum. It will be 23 meters long and will weigh between six and seven tons. It was crafted using 3D technology at a scale of 1:2.
The trireme, the most celebrated ship of antiquity, will be displayed surrounded by star constellations like those that helped ancient seamen navigate the seas.
Visitors will also be able to admire the trireme sailing the seas in all its glory.
Other highlights include a prehistoric dugout canoe, a Byzantine “dromon,” (a single-masted sailing ship), and an immersive 360-degree holographic presentation of the Antikythera mechanism, accompanied by statues and other artifacts connected to the mechanism shipwreck loaned by the National Archaeological Museum.
A history of the ancient trireme
The trireme (τριήρης in Greek) was an ancient rowing warship with three rows of oars on each side. It derives its name from these three rows of oars, manned by one man per oar. It was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Phoenicians, the Ancient Greeks and the Romans.
Modern scholars are still divided on the provenance of the trireme. Whether it originated in Greece or Phoenicia and when exactly it developed into the foremost ancient fighting ship are moot points, but we know that it was manned by about 200 people.
The trireme was a long (33 to 43 meters), narrow (3.5 to 4.4 meters) and fast ship. It could be powered by sails, rowing or combination of the two. Aristotle called her a “rowing machine.” A feature of her construction was a special armament, called a “piston.” The wooden metalized or all-metal protrusion was up to two meters long and was a natural extension of the propeller.
The ancient vessel was widely used during the Persian Wars, including in the decisive naval Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, where Xerxes’ invasion fleet was heavily defeated by the Greeks.
Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture/TSOLAKIS ARCHITECTS
A unique maritime museum
The new museum will be one of a kind since it will be showcasing the underwater archaeology of an entire country while other similar museums across the world only house displays revolving around a specific exhibit.
The Underwater Archaeology Museum in Piraeus will be thematic and will be divided in six sections under themes such as “Sea, Environment, Human,” “Underwater Archaeology” and “Silo and Piraeus.”
Moreover, findings of new and ongoing explorations in the shipwrecks of Kasos, Modios and Fourka in Chalkidiki will also be displayed. Other highlights will include exhibits from the shipwreck of “Mentor,” the ship with which Lord Elgin transported the Parthenon Marbles, and artifacts from the shipwreck of “La Therese” and the “Britannic,” the sister ship of the “Titanic,” that sank off Kea Island, Greece in 1916.