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Going Down in History: Greece Opens ‘Peristera Shipwreck’ Underwater Museum to Divers

The famous Peristera shipwreck, located off the coast of the island of Alonissos in Greece, will be opened to visitors, making it the world's first underwater shipwreck museum.
Sputnik

From 3 August to 2 October, the shipwreck museum will be open to the public for certified recreational divers, while those who cannot dive can peruse a virtual exhibition at the Alonissos Information Centre, according to Athens newspaper Kathimerini.

The exposition presents amphorae (large vase-like containers) from a sunken ancient Greek ship, lying at a depth of more than 20 meters.

It is believed that this ship sank during a storm in around 425 BC, immediately following the Age of Pericles, when the city of Athens was a significant maritime power. The ship transported thousands of wine amphorae from Halkidiki to the island of Skopelos.

In the future, Greece intends to open four more such museums centred around sunk ships.

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