- Address: Kryou Nerou 14, Ayia Napa 5345, Cyprus
- Opening hours: Tue-Sat 09: 00-17: 00
- Ticket price: € 4 (child ticket - € 1.5)
One of the most popular resorts of Cyprus, Ayia Napa is located on the Mediterranean coast, drowning in golden beaches surrounded by transparent waters. Therefore, it is quite natural that the museum of the sea was opened here, which in 2005 was named "Talassa".
Features of the museum
The decision to build a naval museum on the territory of Ayia Napa was made in 1984 after the sailor Andreas Caryelu discovered the skeleton of an ancient ship at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. And only 20 years after the opening of the museum, in 2004, in one of the pavilions, an exact copy of the ship, Kyrenia-Eleftheria, was exhibited. According to researchers, the ship sank approximately in the IV century BC.
The Thalassa Museum in Ayia Napa was opened not only to show and tell tourists about the richness and diversity of local flora and fauna, but also to teach them to appreciate the beauty of nature. That's why all the stuffed animals that are represented in the sea museum of Ayia Napa are made only after the natural death of the animals.
Exhibits of the museum
The Sea Museum is open in the three-storeyed municipal building of Ayia Napa next to the Nissi Beach beach . Everyone supports a certain topic:
- the first floor is dedicated to marine flora and fauna - corals, fish, sea turtles, as well as paleontological artifacts and works of local artists;
- on the second floor there are exhibits from the life of seafarers;
- on the third floor there are masks, statuettes, ceramics, petrified animals and exhibits of the ancient world.
The second floor of the Sea Museum of Ayia Napa is considered the main one. It is here that its main attraction is presented - a copy of the ship "Kyrenia-Elefetria". The remains of the vessel were found and raised from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in the 60's. Now they are kept in the Kyrenia fortress . One of the expositions recreated the seabed and its inhabitants, so that visitors could imagine the moment of the ship's collapse.
Another interesting exhibit of the Ayia Napa Sea Museum is a replica of a fossilized raft. According to researchers, this relic was made from papyrus more than 11 thousand years ago.
In the museum "Talassa" there is a gift shop, where you can buy miniature copies of exhibits and books. In the adjacent territory there is a marine park, where you can see the performances of trained sea lions and dolphins.
How to get there?
The Ayia Napa Sea Museum is located in the eastern part of Cyprus . You can reach it by rented car or public transport . The fare on the bus is approximately € 2-10, and by taxi - € 5. Also very popular in the city enjoys the rental of bicycles, scooters and ATVs.
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