The history of the emergence of the Thalassa Municipal Maritime Museum in Ayia Napa dates back to 1984, when Yorgos Tornaritis founded the Museum of Sea Life in Ayia Napa. In 1992, under the influence of Dimitris Pieridis, this museum was transformed into the Municipal Museum of the inhabitants of the sea, and then in 2006 into the Thalassa Museum of the Sea
The museum is located on the first floor of the Ayia Napa Town Hall, located on Ayias Mavris Street. The exhibits present the diversity of marine life and information about the rich history of the sea near Cyprus and teach the importance of preserving the underwater life of the island's Mediterranean landscapes.
At the main level of the museum is the main exhibit - "Kyrenia-Eleftheria" - an exact copy of the ancient Greek ship that sank at the end of the 4th century BC. e. off the coast of Northern Cyprus.