Docked ship to become marine and underwater archeology museum

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A local nonprofit organization is working to transform a ship docked at Budapest's Batthyány tér into a marine and underwater archeology museum, hvg.hu reports.

The Octopus Association for Marine Archaeology (Octopus Tengeri Régészeti Kutató Egyesület) is expected to open the museum next year inside the ship named Debrecen ex Kassa. It will cost Ft 300 million, most of which is covered by EU funds. 

Attila K. Szalóky, founder and president of Octopus, said the museum would display items discovered during the organization's expeditions, which are currently being stored abroad. It would also provide a home for underwater artifacts that are kept at Hungarian museums and would host temporary and traveling exhibitions as well. 

Underwater archeology began in Hungary 25 years ago when remains of a Roman fortress were accidentally found in the Danube near Bölcske, Tolna County. In the 1980s, mostly amateurs performed this branch of archeology. Then in the mid-1990s, Octopus appeared, which was the first professional organization specializing in this field. They use state-of-the-art equipment, most of which is from the United States.

Photo Szabolcs Horváth

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