UNDERWATER MUSEUM OPENS AT ISTE
An opening ceremony was held for the ISTE Underwater Museum, completed at Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE).
The opening ceremony for the ISTE Underwater Museum, completed at Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE), took place on Monday, May 27th, at the ISTE Central Library Building. ISTE Rector Prof. Dr. Tolga Depci, President of the Iskenderun Chamber of Maritime Commerce (DTO) Kemal Kutlu, DTO Board Member Atilla Mert, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Meltem Eken, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology Prof. Dr. Cemal Turan, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aytemis Depci cut the ribbon at the ceremony.
The museum features over 500 exhibits, including a long whale, known as the world's second-longest whale, which washed ashore at Iskenderun Port in 2016, and a dead bottlenose dolphin found in the Arsuz district in 2022. The ISTE Underwater Museum showcases a special collection of marine life obtained through scientific research conducted by the ISTE Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology in the Iskenderun Gulf. The museum will be open to visitors from 8 AM to 5 PM daily starting today.
During the opening, ISTE Rector Tolga Depci, who engaged closely with the young first visitors, expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in establishing the museum. In his opening speech, he said, "First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of this museum at ISTE. When the idea of a museum first came up two years ago, I said it would be wonderful. We have not deviated from any of our goals and, thankfully, we are achieving many of them. As ISTE, we strive to do our best in all areas of life. Universities should not be isolated but integrated with society. I especially want elementary, middle, and high school students to come to the museum and see these important materials that have been painstakingly extracted from the underwater. This way, we instil the importance of our seas in them."
After the museum visit, Rector Depci shared his thoughts: "Today, we opened our unique museum in a country surrounded by seas on three sides. Our museum, which combines marine sciences and archaeology, offers a unique opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school students and all educational levels. We take pride in having over 500 species on display, including a 12-meter-long baby whale skeleton, the first of its kind in the Mediterranean. We invite all students and anyone looking to broaden their horizons to experience the unique atmosphere of the ISTE Underwater Museum. I once again thank everyone who attended the opening ceremony and wish for it to be beneficial and auspicious."
