World's oldest shipwreck officially recognised in Türkiye's Antalya

A shipwreck discovered during underwater excavations near Kekova Island in Antalya has officially entered the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest known shipwreck.

Associate Professor Hakan Öniz, Head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at Akdeniz University's Faculty of Fine Arts, told Anadolu Agency that his team has been conducting research along Türkiye's Mediterranean coastline for years on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

He explained that the team has uncovered and shared several important shipwreck discoveries with the world. During underwater excavations near Kekova Island, which began in 2024, researchers also recovered approximately 4,700-year-old amphorae from what is now recognised as the world's oldest shipwreck.

Amphorae from the world's oldest shipwreck discovered in Kekova

According to Öniz, the discovery attracted international media attention and reached billions of people.

"This is a source of great pride for us. As our president has said, Türkiye is one of the leading countries in the world in underwater archaeology. In our view, it is among the top two or three. We have excellent infrastructure and highly qualified specialists working in this field. Most importantly, we are working along one of the world's richest coastlines," he said.

Öniz confirmed that the Kekova discovery had officially been recognised by Guinness World Records this week.

"The shipwreck we discovered in the Kekova region entered the Guinness World Records this week as the 'World's Oldest Shipwreck', and the announcement has been made official. This was just one of our many research projects. We discovered the Kekova shipwreck in 2024, but initially believed it dated back to the Ottoman period," he explained.

recovered artefacts to be displayed in museums

Öniz said researchers initially estimated that the shipwreck was between 100 and 400 years old. At the time, their work primarily focused on shipwrecks dating back approximately 2,000 to 2,500 years.

The team examined and scientifically analysed materials recovered from the wreck, located at a depth of 35 to 40 metres.

"The shipwreck in Kekova is approximately 4,700 years old, meaning the vessel is nearly 5,000 years old. Some of the artefacts initially appeared similar to more recent objects that we were more familiar with. However, during our research publications last year, we discovered similar amphorae in Egypt.

"We found references to comparable amphorae from our shipwreck in published research on Egyptian discoveries. Following this, with permission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we returned to the site and conducted further excavations. That's when we realised that the wreck genuinely dated back to the Early Bronze Age.

"The artefacts we recovered, most of which are amphorae, are currently being processed at our regional laboratory and at Akdeniz University's underwater archaeology laboratory in Kemer."

Öniz added that artefacts recovered from the world's oldest shipwreck will be exhibited in the coming months at the newly completed Four Seas, One Museum in Haydarpaşa, Istanbul.

Some of the discoveries will also be displayed at the Museum of Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, which is nearing completion in Kemer, Antalya.

Öniz and his team first identified objects and materials belonging to a shipwreck off the coast of Kekova in 2024, following coastal and surface surveys. After receiving official permission from the ministry, they carried out additional dives, recovered artefacts and continued their scientific investigations.

Türkiye's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, announced on October 14, 2026, that approximately 4,700-year-old amphorae belonging to the world's oldest shipwreck had been discovered near Kekova Island in Antalya.

Photo: Instagram/mehmetersoytr