Nautilus Museum Evia Greece Edipsos Sea Museums Greece Fossils Shells


Evia is home to some very special and beautiful places that all visitors should try to visit. One of the most unique is that of the "Nautilus Museum", which is located in the Edipsos region of North Evia. Our museum is open throughout the day all year round, and we sincerely look forward to welcoming you here, and introducing you to some of the beauty and magic that the seas of the world are blessed with.
	40 years of great effort led us to obtain thousands of findings such as shells, stones and fossils from all the seas of the world. Today this unique collection can be seen by all in the charming Nautilus Museum. The "Nautilus Museums" was developed to allow all of us the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the marvellous sea world. Upon arrival at the museum, you will see a 10 minute video presentation, that begins with the creation of the universe up until the first forms of life on our planet. This presentation will explain how these first forms of life gave us, not only knowledge, but also elements of civilisation, architectural order and inspiration that has found its way through all forms of art, from painting, sculpture through to music and song.
Following this presentation, we proceed to the main hall, which is lit with special lighting, creating an environment that is similar to the bottom of the sea. Here visitors will be able to admire approximately 3000 exhibits that have been carefully collected from all over the world. Our unique and colourful exhibits are placed inside 28 showcases. Our polite, experienced and helpful tour guides will take you through the museum, providing a fascinating and interesting insight about the exhibits and explaining how the first living creatures on earth inspired man with so many ideas, leading to our lives becoming more modern and efficient.

The tours of the museum is extremely interesting, and visitors will have to chance to learn how many of the natural elements of the sea exploited by the scientists, who studied the special characteristics of the mollusks ( a specific type of shell ) and applied them to architecture, medicine, shipbuilding, engineering, textile industry and more.

Various sea findings were used in ancient times for the colouring of clothing. They were also used as decoration, both on person, and around homes.

Such items from the sea also played important roles in the advance of technology and medicine, through their structures, colours and shapes. The "bradaris" seashell, part of the murex family, was the first medical tool ( a dropper ) used by Hippocrates.

The same seashell with it’s colored substance, product of its gland, gave us the porphur shellfish yielding purple dye. From this, we can say that the shell contributed to the royal and imperial attire of Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians with the purple mantle.

The "nautilus" shell travels with the hydro turbine system and is the only shell that can emerges and submerges by filling it's chambers either with nitrogen gases from the water, or simply water so can operates similar to a submarine.

With its watertight chambers providing adjustable buoyancy, the nautilus uses a funnel it has for jet propulsion by squirting out water in the direction opposite to whatever direction it wishes to go. A nautilus can ascend from 900 ft below sea level to sea level without any problems arising from the difference in pressure.

It is not by chance that the imaginary submarine of Julius Vern in the book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was called "nautilus".

The shells “tuna” and “isocadio” ( clossus humanus ) inspired the ancient architects with their shape and had inspired the decoration of columns on structure during the 5th century, creating the Ionian style which had more decorations than the previous Doric style. The Ionian style was identified with the female gender, whereas the Doric style, were symbolized with its strict line the male gender.

To view the above photos larger, simply click on them.

Items such as shells and stones also became used as monetary units, and helped in the creation of a harmonious environment.

In our museum hall you have the chance to admire wonderful mosaics made from shells, sea urchins and semi precious stones. As well as these charming mosaics, we also have a collection of handmade jewels that have been crafted from shells and semi-precious stones that are bonded together with silver.

For those who would like to take a little part of the museum home with them, we have a lovely selection of beautiful souveniers and small items that would make a perfect gift for a friend of loved one.

We are confident that you visit to the "Nautilus Museum" will be one that you will always remembers and cherish, and hope that you leave with a new outlook on the beauty and magic that exist underwater all over the world.

The Nautilus Museum in Evia offers you the chance to be a part of the creation of the universe, where you can experience the sensation of the deep blue seas and learn more about their magic, beauty and mysteries.