Armenistis Lighthouse & Mykonos Aegean Maritime Museum

Found on the north-east side of Mykonos, the towering 19-metre Mykonian lighthouse soars in to the blue sky. Armenistis Lighthouse was constructed back in 1891 with a focal plane of more than 180 metres. In fact, the island’s visitors can view the lighthouse’s very first lamp at the Aegean Maritime Museum of Mykonos.

The amazing Aegean Maritime Museum of Mykonos is housed in a traditional 19^th century Cycladic building in the heart of Chora near the Three Wells. In the past, the house was owned by Nikolaos Sourmelis, the Master of the merchant ship named Enosis. Nikolaos Sourmelis became a legend after he helped Crete gain its independence from the fearful Ottoman Empire.

The inspiring museum exhibits models of ships dating back from the pre-Minoan times to the 20^th century. At the museum visitors can also view ancient navigational instruments, tools and equipment as well as archaic shipping documents, maps and engravings. Most marvel at rare coins depicting nautical features dating back from the 5^th century BC till the 5^th century AD.

Furthermore, the museum is also home to an inspiring library which contains more than five-thousand volumes of extremely rare books as well as photographs and manuscripts.

The museum’s garden features replicas of ancient marble-made gravestones found in Mykonos and neighbouring Delos. Apparently, these are gravestones of sailors whose ships had sunk and were lost at sea.

The Aegean Maritime Museum was the first of its kind to find and restore authentic historic nautical artefacts to run as they were initially designed and built. One of these artefacts is the original Armenistis lamp which operates perfectly and is exhibited within the museum’s gardens.