The Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa
MUSAN (Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa) is one of the world’s most unique underwater attractions — a submerged art installation designed to be explored by divers and snorkellers alike.
Located just off the coast of Ayia Napa, MUSAN combines art, marine conservation and exploration in a truly immersive underwater environment.
MUSAN has been open in Ayia Napa since August 2021. Access to dive this Underwater Museum should be through a registered Dive Centre, like Scuba Tech. You can find information for these dive centres on the MUSAN Website.
"Entering the forest from the shore end, visitors will drift through the artwork absorbing the natural beauty all around them, creating an ephemeral experience for scuba divers and snorkelers to explore an alternative underwater universe where marine life takes centre stage, a portal beneath the ocean.
Tall organic structures will rise up from the seabed to stand at over eight metres tall, creating the ideal habitat to encourage the aggregation of fish.
Distributed within the museum and amongst the organic structures, a series of figurative sculptures lie in wait to be discovered by the visitor. Acknowledging the heritage of Cyprus, the figurative sculptures within the museum will consider a magical, mystical, other worldly style, combining traditional sculptural formations with a contemporary design.
Musan.com.cy
Marine Life in the Mediterranean has been depleted over the course of many years and the development of Marine Parks throughout the area are hoped to help tackle this problem.
The Sculptures in the MUSAN are sited within the Marine Protected Area at Pernera Beach in Ayia Napa, close to the Kyrenia Shipwreck. The Sculptural forest is designed to replicate a terrestrial Forest and become a focal point for Fishlife. Already we are beginning to see the colonisation of the Sculptures with small schools of fish.
All the materials used for the MUSAN Sculptures are created from pH neutral materials, so as not to interfere with the natural environment.
MUSAN was created by internationally renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, whose work explores the relationship between humans, nature and the ocean.
His installations are designed not only as artworks, but as living artificial reefs that encourage marine growth and biodiversity.
The sculptures at MUSAN represent figures, trees and symbolic forms that highlight the impact of human activity on the natural world. Among the sculpted trees children can be seen playing. They remind us of our need for the natural world as a place to explore, discover and fire our imaginations. The forest children, camera in hand as they play hide-and-seek in the woods, point their lenses at the human race. They hope for a future in which the mystery and magic of nature will return. The need to re-wild our oceans is as pressing as the need to re-establish our connection to the natural world.
Over time, the sculptures become colonised by marine life, transforming the installation into a living ecosystem and reinforcing the message of environmental responsibility.
MUSAN is designed to evolve — just like the ocean itself.
MUSAN is featured in our Discover & Explore Cyprus Diving Package, combining your first scuba experience with one of Cyprus’ most iconic dive sites.
View Discover & Explore Cyprus PackageMUSAN is accessible to both snorkellers and qualified scuba divers. The conditions and distance from shore however, mean this site is NOT suitable for an introduction dive. However, our Discover and Explore Cyprus diving package will allow even those who don't have a diver certification to visit this underwater wonder.
For Divers that already hold a qualification, the MUSAN sculptures can be found in relatively shallow waters, allowing for relaxed dives with long bottom times, especially perfect for underwater photographers.
Contact us today and let us help you plan your perfect scuba diving experience in Cyprus.
Contact the dive centre