#Underwater Archeopark

Underwater archeopark is being built with real artifacts are exhibited

The 'Kerpe Underwater Archeopark Project' in Kocaeli has been accepted by the Support Program of the Eastern Marmara Development Agency (MARKA). In the project, which is the first in Turkey, an underwater archeopark will be built for the first time, where real artifacts will be exhibited. The "Kerpe Underwater Archeopark Project", which was prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, under the leadership of Kocaeli Governorship, Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and in partnership with the Kandıra Municipality and Kocaeli Museum Directorate, is the project of the Eastern Marmara Development Agency (MARKA). ) It was accepted by the 2022 Rural Development Financial Support Program. With the implementation of the Kerpe Underwater Archeopark Project, an underwater archeopark project will be realized for the first time in our country, where real artifacts will be exhibited. On the other hand, when the Kerpe Underwater Museum and Archeopark area comes to life, it will be among the firsts in the world. In the world, only Italy and Croatia have an underwater museum or archeopark where real artifacts are exhibited. The first scientific underwater excavation Archaeological underwater excavations and research studies have been carried out on the Black Sea coast of Kocaeli since 2020 by the Kocaeli Museum Directorate in the direction of the permissions of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. The excavations in Kerpe attracted attention as it was the first scientific underwater excavation carried out from the Black Sea coast of Turkey. The data obtained as a result of the excavations showed that the port of Kerpe was an important center where the Black Sea commercial activities could be monitored continuously, being at the center of the Black Sea's east-west oriented maritime trade route in Antiquity. In addition, thanks to the planned archeopark project, it is expected to make a great contribution to the promotion of the region by providing the integration of archaeological diving tourism with national and international tourism networks.