Page 195 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2024

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
last call

What Treasures Can Teach

ARJ EXPLORES THE IMPORTANCE OF MARITIME ANTIQUITIES
TO THE PAST AND CHANGING CULTURE OF ATHENS.

T he ancient and the modern already
define the Athenian Riviera, but
more history lies in wait beneath the
beachfront. In July 2022, one such
discovery came to light in the Saronic Gulf,
just off the coast of Ampelakia, Salamina. A
team of archaeologists, led by Dr Angeliki
G. Simosi, Director of the Ephorate of
Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands, unearthed
a public building, six metres wide and at least
32 metres long, with six to seven rooms. A
plethora of ceramic and clay objects, painted
shells, and bronze coins emerged, largely from
the Hellenistic period. But several other
findings may have drifted in and been buried
there over the centuries.
Such thrilling puzzles will be solved in time,
especially once the new Museum of Maritime
Antiquities opens its doors, replacing the
old SILO building of Piraeus. Storage,
conservation, and study areas combined will
take over 2,900m . A whopping 6,500m
2
2
are intended for permanent and temporary
exhibits, and there will even be room for
educational programs and scientific activities.
Considering the 2,500 reports compiled
of key shipwrecks, settlements, harbour
facilities, and research projects, every inch
of the museum will be needed.
We now see medieval landmarks illuminated
and made more accessible. Museums pop
up, dedicated to Greek culture. At the same
time, new luxury hotels, green structures,
charming pedestrian zones, and art galleries
shape a refreshed Athens. All these eager
steps illustrate another significant quality
of Athens and its revitalisation efforts:
appreciation for the past while designing a
beautiful, enlightened future. 
©MINISTRY OF CULTURE

A public building of up to seven rooms
was discovered along the seabed near
Ampelakia, Salamina.

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