Since 2010, Greece has been suffering from an ongoing economic crisis consisting of crippling debt. However, this has not stopped the extensive restoration efforts at the Acropolis. How did this continuous “money pit” come to be and how exactly is it impacting the Greek State?
Figure 1: Of all the historic remnants of Ancient Greece, the Acropolis has arguably been one of the most famous for centuries. In order to preserve this monument, the Acropolis Restoration Project was established. However, this ongoing endeavor has backfired and now is further contributing to the debt crisis plaguing the Greek State.
Figure 2: Established in 1975, the Project (also known in Greece as the YSMA) began with the intent to reverse the decay caused by environmental and man made degradation. This includes damage from air pollution and warfare, including bombardment by the Venetians in the 17th century. It also corrects previously misguided restoration attempts that included misassembling columns of the Parthenon. The restoration efforts have been consistently ongoing for the past 40 years, racking up budgets amounting to billions of euros. (1)
Figure 3: According to Greek preservation laws, any and all cultural assets are to be protected and preserved by the Greek State. To further protect more valuable parts of the Acropolis, some artifacts and sculptures have been moved to the Acropolis Museum. This includes the Caryatids, with their place of origin, the Erectheion, now housing replicas that have been reinforced with metal rods and pillars of new marble. (2)
Figure 4: Over the years, 2,675 tons of architectural remains have been restored, the most recent having been concluded in 2010. Past reconstruction has been done using stone fragments from the Acropolis slopes or new Pentelic marble, which can be easily distinguished from the original marble. However, it’s the staggering financial cost of this that contributed to the project halting in 2017.
Figure 5: Shortly after construction efforts came to a halt, the YSMA announced a new phase in the project that requires a budget of 5 million euros. This includes reconstructing the roof of the Propylaia, complete with re-painting motifs that mimic the ones that originally decorated the space.
Figure 6: Over half of the money that funds the restoration comes directly from the European Union (EU). Further funding was requested by the Greek government after extensive talks with the EU and the condition that they continue to pay for half of the budget. (3)
Figure 7: One of the main points in arguing against the venture is that it negatively impacts tourism. While there hasn’t been any major declines in annual visitation, the presence of scaffolding and cranes is seen as a detractor to tourists who may see it as being a eyesore or ruining photographs.
Figure 8: While tourism is helping to bring Greece out of bankruptcy, there are concerns that it still will not cover the Acropolis’ bill. This also impacts workers who are hired on contract. Nikos Toganides, an Acropolis worker, stated that the project is taxing because people “don’t know when the next lot of money is coming.” He also claims that he and his team had not been paid in three months. (3)
Figure 9: Only time will tell if the Acropolis Restoration Project will continue on this track. As it stands, current work will conclude in 2020. Despite this, it is the tip of the iceberg with no clear end in sight.
Sources for further reading:
1.) “Healing the Parthenon: Inside the Mammoth Restoration Project.” Greece Is, 26 Sept. 2017, http://www.greece-is.com/healing-parthenon-inside-mammoth-restoration-project/.
2.) Law 3028/2002 – On The Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General
3.) Smith, Helena. “Repair of Acropolis Needs 20 More Years and £47m.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 10 June 2005, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/10/arts.artsnews.
Really well written. Nice references.
Rachael –
This is really well done. It is very thoroughly developed and tells a clear and concise story. I also enjoyed reading it because I didn’t know anything about the restoration process! Nice work!
Rachael,
I always was curious about the restoration projects in place and how they are funded, and now I know! You did a great job telling a story that flowed and was engaging!
Hi Rachael,
It seems that the Greek state needs a massive Go Fund Me page. Hmmm, perhaps a project for Skinner’s Islanders? Your images show a good sense for organization and process. The images and their captions provide a narrative and logical order to the presentation. Good job!
For your next blog, I recommend including your own thoughts about your research. Here in Flagstaff it’s easy for me to decide “Wow! Way too much money during an economic downturn.” My sense is that because you are there, and you are walking through it, you’re experience is beyond the number of Euros. Does the scaffolding affect your experience? Is the restoration expense secondary to what future children and those children’s children may one day experience? In other words, what do you think of the current discussions/arguments because you are now a first-hand witness and have primary experiences on the site in question.
Have fun with your bog posts. The more you bring in your personal thoughts and conclusions based on your first-hand experiences along with all that you’re learning, the more interesting your stories are for us to read. I look forward to reading your next post.
Saludos Rachael!
Isn’t it crazy how as tourist we often miss some of the economic and societal context for ruins and old buildings. We expect that this knowledge and building will last forever, without much thought to who is paying to ensure that. So thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.
What did you think of the scaffolding and the obvious chunks of new marble? Does it take away from the experience or do you think it’s worth the trouble to continue this project? You also talked about how people assumed tourists might react, but do you know how locals feel? Do you think their Greek identity continues to be tied to these ruins?
I look forward to reading your next entry!
-Nikki