The Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities ( el, Εφορεία Εναλίων Αρχαιοτήτων) is a department within the

Greek Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture and Sports ( el, Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού) is the government department of Greece entrusted with preserving the country's cultural heritage, promoting the arts, and overseeing s ...

responsible for

underwater archaeology Underwater archaeology is archaeology practiced underwater. As with all other branches of archaeology, it evolved from its roots in pre-history and in the classical era to include sites from the historical and industrial eras. Its acceptance has ...

. The Ephorate was founded in 1976, and has jurisdiction over the entirety of Greece (unlike the regional antiquities ephorates). Permission from the EUA is needed to conduct surveys and photography dives on architectural structures, such as shipwrecks, in Greek waters. The EUA itself is also responsible for the discovery, exploration, and maintenance of underwater activities. The Ephorate operates two regional offices, based in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

and

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...

. In 2003, the Ephorate was given jurisdiction over all wrecks of ships and aircraft more than fifty years old. A Museum of Underwater Antiquities is currently being designed, under the auspices of the EUA. It will be situated in the harbour of

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...

, and is projected to be completed in 2025.

References

{{Greece-stub Archaeology of Greece 1976 establishments in Greece Underwater archaeology