Political row over restoration of Greece’s priceless heritage Acropolis
Controversy has engulfed an ambitious restoration project on the Acropolis, with critics accusing the Greek government of spoiling the country’s priceless heritage.
Most of the fire has been directed at a new concrete walkway unveiled in December, which main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras said constitutes “abuse” of Greece’s most vaunted archaeological site.
A former member of the Acropolis restoration team, veteran architect Tasos Tanoulas, has called the new paths “foreign” and “stifling” to the 5thcentury BCE monument.
The wider restoration project - delivered in little more than a year - was done without the care needed to safeguard a monument that is for many emblematic of Greece, critics charge.
The government says it has taken all necessary precautions and that the attacks are politically motivated.
Over 3.5 million people visited the Acropolis in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down travel.
The culture ministry this week announced further improvements to the Acropolis for disabled visitors, which it said were carried out after consulting with leading associations for people with disabilities.
The ministry said signs in Braille and easier-to-read bold fonts would be installed, in addition to scaled models of the monuments, handrails and slope warnings. But risks remain.
When AFP toured the Acropolis this week, a woman tripped into a hollow in the middle of the new walkway, one of many designed to give a glimpse of the ancient rock beneath.
Further up the path, a staffer swiftly swept soil into another hollow after a visitor group has walked past. “It’s a plateau with potholes. Potholes are the opposite of safe,” noted tourist guide Smaragda Touloupa, who recently took her elderly parents on a visit to the site.
The Acropolis makeover, which cost around 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) and includes award-winning night lighting, a disabled elevator upgrade and better drainage, was funded by the Onassis Foundation.
The culture ministry has rejected suggestions it was carried out without proper consultation and mainly aims at boosting visitor capacity.
Culture minister Lina Mendoni said last month the Acropolis restorers are “experts of global renown” with over four decades of award-winning work on the site.