Artefacts from the Titanic's sister ship have been recovered by divers for the first time since the cruise liner sank in the Aegean Sea over 100 years ago.
On Monday, officials from the Greek Culture Ministry announced that the treasures from the ill-fated HMHS Britannic had been discovered by a team of deep-sea divers.
Some of the artefacts recovered during the operation in May include the ship's port-side navigation lamp, binoculars, ceramic tiles from a Turkish bath and a bell.
The Britannic was first launched in 1914, but was taken over by the Royal Navy and repurposed as a medical ship after the First World War broke out across Europe.
On Monday, officials from the Greek Culture Ministry announced that the treasures from the ill-fated Britannic had been discovered
|GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY
It was sunk off the Greek island of Kea in 1916 after being struck by a German mine as it was carrying wounded troops from the Middle East back to British shores.
The Britannic had over 1,000 passengers on board at the time, who all managed to escape before the ship sank within one hour.
However, 30 people were killed when two lifeboats became entangled in the vessel's propellers.
The research of the wreck was coordinated by historian Simon Mills, the founder of the Britannic Foundation.
The artefacts recovered during the operation include the ship's port-side navigation lamp, binoculars and a bell
|GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY
The project was overseen by Greece’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities (EUA), who revealed the "conditions at the wreck site were particularly challenging due to currents, depth, and low visibility".
Despite a host of treasures being found, some of the artefacts the researchers aimed to bring to land were unable to recovered due to their location and poor condition.
The items are now undergoing conservation in the EUA's laboratories in the country's capital of Athens.
They are set to be displayed in the First World War sections of the new Museum of Underwater Antiquities, which is currently under construction at the port of Piraeus.
The Britannic was first launched in 1914, but was soon taken over by the Royal Navy to be repurposed as a medical ship
|WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Britannic was one of three passenger liners owned by the White Star Line that was constructed at Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard.
The other two were the RMS Olympic, which sailed the seas for 24 years until it was sold for scrap in 1935, and the infamous RMS Titanic.
The Britannic's wreck sits at around 120 metres deep on the ocean floor, with only technical divers able to access it.
The 11-man team of divers used a closed-circuit rebreather equipment to carry out the recovery mission.
The shipwreck was first discovered by legendary French naval officer Jacques Cousteau in December 1975.
The following year, Mr Cousteau returned to the site with a team of divers, who explored inside the wreckage for the very first time.
The veteran diver concluded that the ship was struck by a single German torpedo after examining damage to the vessel's plates.
The Britannic lies on the seafloor on her starboard side, hiding the gaping hole which was ripped open by the mine.