Bodrum underwater museum nominated for top European award

ANKARA

The European Museum Forum (EMF) has nominated the southwestern province of Muğla’s Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology for the 2025 European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), the Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.

“This museum, which has returned to life once again in our hands, showcases our cultural legacy globally with the help of our undersea treasures,” Ersoy said in a post on X.

The museum is one of the greatest instances of restorations they have made using a modern museum approach, Ersoy said, underlining that it also reflects their commitment to preserving the country’s history.

"We are once again elevating the significance of our cultural heritage on a global scale with this nomination. We look forward to the award ceremony, which will take place in Poland from May 21 to 25, 2025.”

The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology will be introduced during the award ceremony, and the award-winning museums will be revealed during the event on May 24.

Awarded yearly since 1977, the European Museum of the Year Award honors creativity and quality in newly constructed or renovated museums around Europe.

Ranked among this prestigious organization’s Specially Commended list in 1995, the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology underwent restoration in 2021.

The museum at present, after this multifaceted renovation project, attracts attention with its practices of safeguarding cultural assets and heritage, with its sophisticated display rooms renovated with the modern museum approach.