The first and only thematic salt museum in Greece has been operating for a few days now in Tourlis, Messolonghi, in the salt pans and next to the lagoon.
The museum was the initiative of the Speech and Art Center “Diexodos” and its founder Nikos Kordosis who describes the efforts that were made for its operation: “Visitors to the museum will learn everything related to salt from its first appearance on the planet to our times, i.e. its relations to economy, health, agriculture, animal husbandry, the environment, tourism and religion”.
At the same time, “visitors will learn about its 14,000 uses, get acquainted with the types of salt, the variety of their colours and their granulometry” and he adds: “they will learn about the salt pans across the whole country, both those in use and those that have been abandoned. They will see works of art by artists inspired by salt as well as the only collection in Greece of 1,500 salt cellars dating from the 1800s to the present day. Going up to the observatory they will watch the process of cultivating and producing salt, see its old harvesting machines and enjoy the magic of the lagoon and the life of the hundreds of rare birds endemic to the area’s exceptional wetland. They will also find out about the salt pans across Greece as well as the history of those of Messolonghi that date from the 14th century”.
In fact, as Nikos Kordosis points out, “salt is an inextricable part of the city of Messolonghi , not only because hundreds of families make a living from it, but also because 65% of Greek production is cultivated and mined in the salt pans of Messolonghi. After all, only the experienced salt gatherers of Messolonghi know how and when, using no machinery, they will collect by hand the purest salt there is; the well-known fleur de sel /afrina i.e. the flower of salt”.
During its three month operation, this exhibition welcomed more than 7,500 visitors.
The Salt Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
