The Potential of Maritime Museums for Heritage Education

Maritime museums provide the right setting for integrating different perspectives and approaches to study maritime culture and history. This study presents a qualitative analysis of the educational programs from three museums in the Mediterranean region: the Galata Maritime Museum in Genova (Italy), the Maritime Museum of Barcelona (Spain), and the Maritime Museum of Haifa (Israel). This research evaluates the potential of these museums as agents of heritage education while providing their visitors with opportunities to learn about several aspects of maritime history, culture, and science. The Mediterranean region, with its seafaring history and cultural and ethnic diversity, serves as an ideal location for such museums to actively act as learning platforms of the importance of the sea in civilisation whilst addressing the regional challenges. With this study, we highlight the significance of promoting education via cultural heritage in museums and the potential of maritime museums to facilitate inclusion and dialogue about cultural diversity.