The THALASSA, Agia Napa Municipal Museum, opened its doors in August 2005. The main focus of the museum is to present the impact and significance of the sea upon the island. It is the only maritime museum in Cyprus. In 2025, the museum will celebrate its 20th anniversary and aim to organise activities for children and adults to present and promote the Cypriot Maritime Cultural Heritage (MCH).

With support from the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF), the THALASSA Museum aims to enhance the visibility and importance of MCH through various activities. The primary target audience will be children and youth (15-35 years old) as educating young people is crucial for fostering respect for and the protection of cultural heritage. The activities include:

1. Trying to solve riddles and discovering a treasure: Participants will engage in an exciting treasure hunt game at the museum that allows them to interact with the museum exhibitions. Using maps and riddles, participants will navigate through different museum exhibitions to explore them and uncover secrets. All the participants will get a prize, which will be a miniature replica of the Kerynia to remember what they learned through this activity.
2. Bringing the ship of Kerynia to life on a journey through time: Participants will explore the history of Kerynia and the significance of a local shipwreck. They will attend presentations about the history of the district and the town of Kerynia, as well as the role of the shipwreck’s discovery in its history. Also, through experimental, audiovisual presentations, participants will have the chance to interact with samples of the ship’s parts, such as hull, steering oars, and sails. Thus, this hands-on experience will provide insights into how such ancient merchant ships were constructed and sailed in antiquity.
3. Educational Workshop “Bringing to Light Remnants of Yesterday”: Participants will take on the role of archaeologists, using archaeological tools, and appropriate methodology to excavate in excavation boxes, recover archaeological finds, and record them in an Archaeologist’s Diary. This hands-on experience will introduce them to the fascinating world of archaeology.

Additionally, a permanent educational space dedicated to Cypriot maritime archaeology will be established to engage museum visitors with the MCH of Cyprus. This area will feature a SCUBA diving kit, and replicas of finds recovered from underwater excavations, such as anchors, amphorae, and miniatures of shipwrecks. Through interactive activities and virtual reality experiences, visitors will have the opportunity to explore Cypriot maritime archaeology and underwater archaeological sites.

The overall project management will be undertaken by the THALASSA, Agia Napa Municipal Museum with the support of Dr. Maria Michael, a Cypriot maritime archaeologist.