Aegean Maritime Museum: A Voyage Through Greek Naval History

Located in the heart of Mykonos Town, in the Tria Pigadia area, the Aegean Maritime Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the maritime history and traditions of Greece, with a focus on the Aegean Sea. Founded in 1983 and opened to the public in 1985 by Myconian George M. Dracopoulos, the museum's collection includes ship models from as early as 1500 BC, documented by rare engravings, maps, and nautical instruments. The museum is housed in a classic Cycladic building from the 19th century, which once belonged to Captain Nikolaos Sourmelis, a hero of the Cretan struggle against the Turks. Exhibits include ancient amphorae, nautical instruments, anchors, rudders, portraits, and a collection of rare coins with nautical themes dating from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD. The museum also houses a thematic library with over five thousand rare volumes and naval documents. In the garden, visitors can view the Armenistis Lighthouse mechanism, built in 1890 and awarded at the Paris Universal Exposition, as well as marble headstones of ancient sailors collected from Mykonos and Delos. The museum was the first in Greece to restore historical maritime finds, and it also possesses two museum ships: the Aegean Sea sailing boat "Evanghelistria" (built in 1940) and the steamship "Thalis o Milissios" (built in 1909).