Half-Day Tour to the Naval Museum & “Trireme”, Niarchos Cultural Center plus coffee/drink with a view

ATHENIAN TRIREME «OLYMPIAS»

For centuries, there has been a debate over how the Trireme was built and manned. These questions were finally answered in the summer of 1987. At that time the copy of the Athenian Trireme, “OLYMPIAS”, equipped with oars of the same length and constructed according to the archaeological data and the laws of physics, resistance of materials, etc., was tested.
The performance of the Trireme “OLYMPIAS” was amazing. It could achieve a speed of more than 9 knots, sailing for hours at a speed of 4 knots with half rowing rotors, turning 180 degrees in one minute with an arc of less than 2.5 ship lengths. In addition, the crew did not need long training. The paddlers synchronized to the paddles in a matter of weeks.
Characteristics of Trieres “OLYMPIAS”
Date of receipt: 26 August 1987
Construction Material: Oregon Pine Housing, Virginia Oak, Iroko Kernel, 20,000 wood wedges, 17,000 brass handmade nails, 200kg Cast Brass Pendant Cover.
Length 36,90 m. Width 5,50 m. Draft 1,25 m. Displacement 70 tons.

In addition, as the Trireme provided permanent employment for the city’s poorer citizens, the fleet played an important role in maintaining and promoting the radical Athenian form of democracy.

Sailboat Crossing “Evangelistria”

The sailing ship “Evangelistria” is one of the last genuine Aegean sailing ships. The “Evangelistria” is a “sailing” sailboat and was built in Syros island in 1939 by the boatman Mauroco and his children, on behalf of the Mykonian shipbuilder Antonis K. Bonis. It has a capacity of about 90 tons, a total length of 20 m, and a width of 6.38 m and it carries two tissues.

Steam Steamer «Thalis o Milesios»
It was built in 1909 at NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING & DRYDOCK CO., VIRGINIA, USA with the original name “JOSEPH HENRY” on behalf of the US Government. It was transferred from the US Government to Greece in 1947, handed over to OTE, and renamed “Thalis the Milesian.” It was the first Greek cable ship to take charge of the lying and maintenance of telephone cables between the Greek islands. During his service until 1983, when he was decommissioned, he laid 140 new cables and repaired more than 630 lines of older cables. “Thalis the Milesios” is the oldest cable ship in the world, which still maintains its original engine room with its 2 original propulsion engines. It is still the oldest ship registered in Greek registers with high-level technical specifications.

I / F “Evgenios Evgenides”
The historic sailboat “EVGENIOS EVGENIDES” was built for Walter Runciman. It was a masterpiece of construction, the result of the collaboration of William & Denny Bros. In Dumbarton, Scotland, designer G. L. Watson and Ratrsey & Lapthorn sailmakers. It was captured in 1929 and until 1939 it was mainly used as the staff of the Runciman family. It is noteworthy that during the Second World War a special ship was used as a ship by allies on the Helford River in Cornwall.
In 1945, the ship arrived in Swedish hands, first at the “Abraham Rydberg Foundation of Stockholm” and then at “Einar Hansen’s Clipper Line of Malmo”, where it was renamed “SUNBEAM” and “FLYING CLIPPER” respectively. In 1965 he changed his sailing, with the addition of three sails, and was used as a training sail for the crew of his shipowners.
The boat starred in “FLYING CLIPPER,” starring in the film “Lord Jim”, and is also distinguished in the first two sailing sailboats (1956-1958), including Stavros Niarchos’ staff, “CREOLE”.
In 1965 it was bought by the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and renamed “EVGENIOS EVGENIDES”, in honor of the benefactor Eugene Eugenides, from whose bequest came 1/3 of the money for the purchase of the vessel. “EVGENIOS EVGENIDES” continues to play the role of a training sailboat, this time for the merchant navy until 1990. After decommissioning, “EVGENIOS EVGENIDES” is transferred to the Ministry of Culture which grants its use in the Navy Museum of Greece.
Since 2004, with the care of the Navy, the ship has been maintained to make it public.

A/T Arrow
The Artillery Battalion, one of the 25 ships of the Hellenic Fleet, whose Governors and Officers had decided to react dynamically to overthrow the status of the military junta imposed in the country in 1967. They organized an anti-dictatorial movement that had different forms and fluctuations since 1968, culminating in May 1973 that almost all of the Fleet was involved.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (source: www.snfcc.org)

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens is designed by the architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW). The SNFCC is a sustainable, world-class cultural, educational, and recreational urban complex that includes new facilities for the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, located within the Stavros Niarchos Park.

The idea for the SNFCC originated in 1998 with the Foundation’s decision to support the construction of new facilities for the National Library of Greece (NLG). At the same time, the Foundation was considering a proposal to support the Greek National Opera (GNO). From these disparate plans and with the opportunities that the site allocated for the purposes of this project’s development presented came an exciting opportunity to provide the Greek people with a Triple Project; a great cultural, educational, and environmentally responsible landmark of international stature in one site.

In March 2009, an agreement was ratified by the Greek Parliament that stated in part that the Foundation would undertake the responsibility to assume the total cost of building and equipping the SNFCC, and that, upon completion, will donate it to the Greek State, which will assume its full control and operation, to be used and enjoyed by the Greek people.

The SNFCC was completed in 2016 and on February 23rd, 2017 was transferred to the Greek State and by extension, Greek society. Upon delivery of the SNFCC to the Greek State, the SNF withdraws fully from the project’s management. However, the Foundation will continue to actively support the SNFCC for the next five years, with grants of up to €50 million and to organize—through exclusive grants—free to the public, one-week-long events at the SNFCC, every June.

(source: www.snf.org)