Santorini may be a top tourist destination, renowned globally and attracting millions of visitors, but beyond its tourism, it stands as a maritime haven deeply rooted in centuries-old tradition.
The maritime journey through Thira’s history is captured within the Maritime Museum, recently renovated with the sponsorship of M/Maritime and opened its doors to the public last Saturday. This museum is set to host exhibitions and educational activities.
The history of Thira’s commercial navigation is a tale of longstanding achievements that persist to this day. Owners and investors on an island spanning 76.19 square kilometers managed the second-largest commercial fleet in the central Aegean. They expanded commercial networks across communities from the Black Sea to Northern Europe, bridging tradition with the contemporary maritime industry.
Manolis Koutoulakis, the General Secretary for the Aegean and Island Policy at the Ministry of Shipping, representing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stated, “The ministry supports efforts not only to preserve a memory of the past but also to breathe life and substance into the future. We’ve demonstrated this in practice. It’s crucial to highlight Thira’s maritime history, regardless of its journey through time. It’s a legacy that Santorinians must remember, and so should we all. As a ministry, we stand by your side, primarily to showcase through these significant spaces, the messages about Greek shipping and seamanship. There are two pillars of the Greek flag’s competitiveness: Greek ship ownership, with Greek shipowners who were leading and continue to lead, and the Greek seafarer. In every corner of insular Greece, small and grand stories unfold, demonstrating the country’s connection to the sea, stories that should never be forgotten.
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