Kyrenia ship

Kyrenia ship

Kyrenia ship - Greek merchant ship, shipwrecked off the coast of Cyprus in the IV century BC. er It was discovered by divers from Cyprus and Greece in 1967 near the coastal city of Kyrenia. Michael Katzev, a graduate student at the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania , conducted a detailed study of it in 1967-1969 . The find was widely reported by the National Geographic Society . The remains of the ship were lifted from the sea floor in the winter of 1970 . 75% of the ship are in good condition and today it is the only surviving vessel of the classical era of Greece . In 1974, Turkey captured Kyrenia and the rest of Northern Cyprus , but the ship remained in the local museum. Currently, the Kyrenia ship is on display at the Museum of Ancient Shipwrecks in Kyrenia Castle .

The sinking of the ship could have been caused by various reasons, but the data indicate that this was most likely due to its deterioration or attack by pirates . ^[1] . Archaeologists have found in the case of the tips from the weapon, which may indicate an attack on the ship, although it can also represent only the cargo of the ship. ^[1] In view of the fact that the ship was a merchant, it should have had weight and coins, but they were not found. Also, at least any valuable cargo was not found, which is probably a confirmation of the theory of the robbery of the vessel by pirates and its further sinking. ^[1] The cargo found on the vessel consists of 400 wine amphoras , almonds in cans, 29 millstones , plenty of lead , a large pot and a bronze cauldron. The four drinking bowls found, four wooden spoons and four oil jugs suggest that the crew consisted of four sailors.

In 1985 , on the basis of the remains of the Kyrenia ship, one of the Greek scientists created a full-size copy of the ship, which was named Kyrenia II. This ship became a kind of "floating ambassador of Cypriot culture", having traveled to many parts of the world, including New York in 1986, Japan in 1988 and the Federal Republic of Germany in 1989 . After a visit to Japan , another copy of the ship was built in the city of Fukuoka , which is on permanent display in the city. In 2002, construction began on the third copy of the ship called Free Kyrenia, in compliance with the original design, but using modern methods. Its construction was timed to coincide with the 2004 Olympic Games and after the construction was completed, the ship sailed to Athens with a symbolic load of copper, which was subsequently used to create bronze Olympic medals.

The Cyrenean ship is considered a symbol and national pride in the Republic of Cyprus , and its image was used on Cypriot coins of 10, 20 and 50 euro cents. ^[2]