Amidst the Waves and Maps of the Aegean

The Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA) is honored to present the Exhibition of Nautical Charts by Professor Emeritus Paraskevas Savvaidis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), titled:
“Amidst the Waves and Maps of the Aegean.”

This map exhibition highlights the efforts and adventures of British hydrographers as they explored and charted coastlines, islands, and ports on behalf of Great Britain in the mid-19th century.
The waters of the Mediterranean had always drawn the attention of many nations throughout history, within a constantly shifting environment of wars, power plays, and rivalries for control of trade between the Great Powers of Europe and the Ottoman Empire.
To ensure the success of Britain’s ambitions, its warships and merchant vessels navigating the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea required reliable nautical charts to traverse maritime routes safely and locate secure anchorages and ports.
This mission was accomplished by British hydrographers over approximately sixty years (1810–1870).

Captains and sailors aboard hydrographic survey ships meticulously explored and mapped the islands of the Aegean Sea (then also referred to as the Greek Archipelago), as well as the coastlines of Greece, Asia Minor, Crete, and Cyprus.
Moreover, accompanying archaeologists recorded ancient Greek monuments in remote and previously uncharted locations for the first time, while natural scientists studied the marine environment, fauna, and flora, significantly contributing to the advancement of science.

Thus, at a time when geographic knowledge of the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean coastlines was almost nonexistent, British hydrographers produced nautical charts of exceptional quality.
Their work not only supported navigation, cartography, and geography but also greatly advanced archaeological research and natural history.

The exhibition is organized thematically into five sections:

• British Hydrographers in the Aegean Sea

• Hydrographic Charts of the British Admiralty

• Coastal Profile Drawings on Nautical Charts

• Hydrographers, Archaeology, and Greek History

• Hydrographers, Environment, and Natural Sciences

Exhibition Curator: Paraskevas Savvaidis, Professor Emeritus, Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Exhibition Organizer: Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA)

Exhibition Dates: November 22, 2024 – March 31, 2025

Media Sponsors: TV100, FM100, FM100.6, Makedonia Newspaper, makthes.gr