- North Cyprus The Treasure Island
A merchant ship dating from c.300 B.C., raised from the sea bed of the Mediterranean near Kyrenia Castle. Recovered by marine archeologists between 1967-69, the ship is probably the earliest trading vessel yet discovered. The museum also contains the original cargo and equipment from the ancient ship. The ship is 15m in length and made of Aleppo pine. The wooden surface of the ship is coated with a strong lacquer to protect it against Mediterranean wood-boring maggot. The number of kitchen utensils, wooden spoons, olive oil bottles, glasses and saltcellars show that the ship's crew was only four persons.
The ship exhibited in the castle of Girne was built in 389 B.C. and was about 80 years old when it sunk. Four hundred amphoras, 29 basalt millstones and 9000 almonds were found in the wreck. About 300 lead weights show that the ship was also used for fishing. The wreck was found by a sponge fisherman in 1965 about 1.5 km off Kyrenia, at depth of 18 m. It was salvaged by marine archaeologists from Pennsylvania University.