Inauguration of the first Accessible Underwater Archaeological Site in Greece

The first Accessible Underwater Archaeological Site in Greece was inaugurated, the 2.500 year-old shipwreck of the classical era (425 BC) in Peristera, Alonissos, in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni. Kostas Agorastos, governor of the Region of Thessaly, Petros Vafinis, mayor of the and the singer Sakis Rouvas, serving as the first visitor, were also present for the inauguration. With a free dive, the ribbon of the inauguration was cut at a depth of 28 meters. The museum will be open from 3 August to 2 October 2020, for the first time, and visitors will be able to dive and admire the exhibits from the famous shipwreck. The invitation is open for all visitors, divers and non-divers. The Knowledge Awareness Center in Alonissos Town, allows visitors to dive virtually, explore the seabed and navigate around the wreck like real divers, with the help of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications, without getting wet at all. The project was prepared in the framework of the BLUEMED cross-border cooperation programme (https://bluemed.interreg-med.eu/) and the funding will be continued until 2023, through the Regional Development Plan of Thessaly.