The Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa (MUSAN) in Cyprus has welcomed its first visitors, since opening on July 31.
The museum is located 8m to 10 m (26ft to 32ft) below sea level in a marine protected bay 200m (656ft) off the coast of Pernera Beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus and can be accessed via snorkelling or diving.
It features artworks created by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Inspired by the devastating impact climate change and overfishing has had on our oceans, deCaires Taylor hoped to explore humanity’s relationship with nature.
The installation was designed to resemble a dense underwater forest and features some 93 sculptures, including figures and trees.
The sculptures are made from inert pH-neutral materials that are designed to interact with their surroundings and encourage plant life, which in turn encourages biodiversity by providing food and shelter for sea life.
“Jason’s sculptures change the way we look at environmental issues and remind us that man can coexist harmoniously with the marine environment,” said Cyprus’ agriculture minister; Costas Kadis.
Dive tourism
The museum is expected to attract 50,000 visitors a year and is hoped to boost dive tourism to the region.
Dive tourism is one of the pillars of Cyprus’ National Tourism Strategy 2030, with deputy tourism minister Savvas Perdios describing the trend as an “important sector for Cyprus”
“[Dive tourism] can significantly contribute to attracting a specialised tourist stream,” he said.
Speaking at the opening transport minister Yiannis Karousos echoed Perdios sentiments, saying that he hopes that the museum will put Cyprus on the diving world map.
“I am sure that every visitor to the underwater park will return home taking a little piece of Ayia Napa with them” he said.
The museum cost €1m (£848,000, US$1.18m) and took more than three years to build. It was first proposed to the Ayia Napa Municipal Council in 2014 with construction beginning three years later, in 2017.
The museum features 93 sculptures designed to symbolise humanity’s relationship with nature CREDIT: JASON DECAIRES TAYLOR/MUSAN
The installation is located 8m to 10m beneath the ocean’s surface CREDIT: COSTAS CONSTANTINOU/MUSAN
The sculptures are made from pH-inert materials designed to encourage plant life and biodiversity CREDIT: COSTAS CONSTANTINOU/MUSAN
The installation was inspired by the devastating impact climate change and overfishing have had on the planet CREDIT: COSTAS CONSTANTINOU/MUSAN
