Archaeological Museum of Kissamos

The Archaeological Museum of Kisamos belongs to the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and is located in the homonymous coastal town of Western Crete, which was built over ancient Kissamos.

It is housed in the building of the old Venetian-Turkish Headquarters, which was located within the perimeter of the Venetian castle and was strengthened during the Ottoman rule.

The exhibits of the Museum offer an overview of the area’s history from prehistoric times to paleochristian times. The exhibition is divided in units developed in the ground floor and the first floor of the building. So, the visitor gets acquainted with the antiquities of the area in chronological order. Furthermore, the findings are displayed by excavation set and in thematic units.

The entire exhibition of the Museum includes a lot of information and visual material. To better inform visitors and to attract their interest, the museum offers an electronic presentation with research and documentation on the most destructive earthquake of the antiquity, in 365 A.D., which struck Crete and demolished Kissamos.

(Authors: V. Niniou – Kindeli, A. Tsingou, Archeologists)