Underwater highway and the ancient sites

The approval given by the Central Archaeological Council of the Ministry of Culture, for constructing an underwater highway which will give some fresh air to the city of Thessaloniki, is a positive work for the whole of the inhabitants, but, for a portion of citizens is negative. it is about the in principle approval from the Ministry of Culture, as it is expected that after the 6.5 kilometres in length project to meet archaeological sites and artifacts. The competent operators (IST Prehistoric and Classical, 9th Ephorate of Byzantine and Ephorate of Underwater Archeology) do not know in which specific areas there are antiquities, after the boundaries of the archaeological zone of the project is changeable, they may encounter, however, parts of the western nekropolis of the ancient city, the Byzantine port, but also parts of the walls' structure since the Great Constantine.

Lilian Acheilara stated that during the six drilling that have been made so far traces of pottery between the White Tower and the Royal Theatre have been identified (in depth to 7.5 meters).

When antiquities will be discovered, the work will be interrupted and excavations will be carried out, while the project will be depended from the significance and importance of the antiquities that may be discovered. The roof of the tunnel will abstain 25 meters from the surface of the sea and 19 m from the bottom. The issue, however, did not end as they will return to the KAS to discuss the final study and the amended environmental impact study. "A hole in the water" described the work the architect Ourania Economou, representing residents who complain about the construction of the project, while the adviser to the Minister Helen Kalafouti argued that it "will upgrade the historic center."

Source: Kathimerini, trans.: Tropaion.

Modern bureaucracy and Old Temples

Today the newspaper Kathimerini and Giota Sykka, presents the extremely bad situation for seven of the most valuable archaeological sites in Greece today. Thus the following projects , which sometimes evolve slowly and sometimes remain static, meet a grand number of difficulties mainly due to the lack of staff and of moneys. Some others have been forgotten by the State and the Ministry of Culture. Here are the seven sites which call for an SOS: the Temple of Apollo Epikouriou in Vasses Figaleias in the Peloponnese, the Akrotiri in Santorini, the cave of Euripides in Salamis, the Palace of Tatoiou, the Demosion Sema in Metaxourgeio, the temple of Athena Nike, the Lyceum of Aristotle in the heart of Athens, in the square Rigillis. For some of them the situation remains stalled, other desperate. The Ministry of Culture is unable to finance their maintenance and the only hope is moneys from donors, who are not unfortunately available.

At the Temple of Epikoureios Apollo, six of its north columns soon will be restored fully. Since 1970 a temporary tent covers the temple of Apollo Epicourios in order to protect it from the bad weather that is prevailing in the region, at the altitude of 1130 meters. Alexandros Mantis, chairman of the Committee do not deem necessary for the replacement of the tent because "such a decision means further delays and huge cost. It is not a priority." We can say that the restoration of the monument is extremely difficult -adding also the financial problems and the lack of staff- and still a long way until its completion. However, there is still an interest for it.

The Akrotiri still remains closed after the sad accident in 2005, however, the J&P, the UK based company of building security research, filed its study too late. The issue must be addressed by the Central Archaeological Council. Meanwhile, Akrotiri, is closed.

The Demosion Sema, the public cemetery of ancient Athens of the 5th century BC were eminent citizens and warriors buried there, was discovered in 1997 by the archaeologist Chari Stoupa in a building construction area in Metaxourgeio, Athens. There new fencing around the site will eventually be completed in the end of the year. The study of Third Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities will soon be deposited in the Central Archaeological Council for approval. The moneys fortunately are available and the project will not exceed the 50,000 euros.

However, to continue excavations in 36 Salamis Road and to emerge fully the Demosion Sema, they need more money for neighboring expropriations. Indeed it can be a far non-reaching dream.

Twelve years after the discovery of the Lyceum of Aristotle, the first universities in the world, was uncovered by E. Lygkouri in Rigillis Road opposite of the New Democracy Party's offices, and the state has done nothing. The rainwaters from the Lycabettus is continuing erosion in the fragile relics of the area . Solutions can be found and some are already accepted, however, the Ministry of Culture can not bear the cost of any of them.

The emergence of the Lyceum project is not luxury. It is a matter of respect for history and heritage - not only of the Greek one but the universal one. Soon seems that the significantce of architectural intervention in the heart of the city will backstage the excavations and the protection of the site which offers new information on the topography of ancient Athens. If no action will be taken soon new buildings will be constructed above the Lyceum of Aristotle.

For some time the temple of Athena Nike, at Acropolis of Athens, had been disappeared. Currently, once again rises slowly. The temple began to fall apart in 2000. All previous restorations were unsuccessful - in 1835-1845 by Ross and after Chansen and Pittaki and 1936 by Balano and then by Orlando - because the had replaced the inside of the building with cement. Now, at last, they clean all of them parts, stone by stone, and filled the gaps with Pentelic marble.

It seems that the delay was due to bad management but the result seems impressive. Once again - and the only time after its original construction - we will view the temple as it was in the time of Kalikratis, back in the 5th century BC.

As far as the Palace of Tatoi - the ex-Kings of Greece - and the Euripides Cave in Salamis remain completely untouched by the Ministry of Culture and seems that no plans for their survival have been made yet. All and all these and many more priceless pieces of Greek heritage and culture are captives of bureaucratic bottlenecks and lay in ruins waiting for donors.

A call for a new spiritual rebirth

The following is the formal Press Release for the forthcoming Prometheia 2008.

Preparations for the commission of Promitheion 2008, cultural events in honour of the Greek culture have begun.

Our responsibilities at the face of world's increasing responsiveness for the Prometheia, which increase awareness of the need to re-connect contemporary Greece with the ancient world [...] requires us to send an appeal particularly to the representatives of the intellectual world of our country. Men of letters and of arts, creators of literature, law and of science, intellectuals, scholars, individuals who have been recorded as the embodiments of knowledge and education. For those whose role, in order to respond to the content of the term "spiritual world", must go beyond the narrow individuality, especially in times of crisis, the sphere of intellectual awakening of its citizens.

In such a time of crisis we are here for some time when silently we are witnessing, day after day, a permanent revocation of values which runs quietly from across the Greek society. Starting from the highest echelons of power across the grid of visible and hidden interdependence with illegal centres until the unhealthy extent of these phenomena in almost every aspect of public life of this place. With effects on the body of citizens a diffuse sense of irresponsibility and general unreliability against every value and every institution, which dramatically exacerbated by the increasing desperation because of economic poverty and the indifference of the state towards the weaker sections.

It is not prudent to remain indifferent when methodically sophisticated and promote physical and spiritual uncertainty, annulling the teamwork and promoting self-interests, thereby expanding like cancer across the spectrum of social stratification the "ideology of purloining". [...] We do not deserve to be dragged down, day after day, to the unpleasant feeling of reduction of self and collective dignity.

The silence of spiritual people it is time to no longer gives alibi in this decline [...]

This is the task of the intellectual world of our country. Please go ahead with pride to declare your opposition to the downward spiral that we are moving slowly but steadily. And yet to proclaim our position on a new intellectual renaissance which would generate means as the reason and clarity of thought of the ancient Greeks. Not as barren worship of a dead past but as an expression of life and of present. [...]

We call this because we are convinced that there are spiritual people in this place they know and feel what the Greek values and they seek to be educated by them. It will not be alone if they dare to do so. Many people would follow and would take over. There are times in the general apaxia and depression, provided an initiative of intellectual leadership to restore hope to bring back a sense of dignity and to re-praise the morale of civil virtue than the hypocrisy and duplicity. There are moments in history that a spark is sufficient in order to arouse people who are tired and ill from centuries of lies, distortion and systematic distortion of concepts, shrines and progenitor of the values, but acknowledges without even knowing the ancestoral source of his/her existence when emerging again clear, transparent and free-flowing means the Truth 'from the darkness of Lithis.'

Under this new intellectual renaissance raised as a necessity now, we must not remain insensitive to this call. Fixed on events leading institution in honor of the Greek spirit, we find ourselves again, for 13 consecutive year, at the foot of Olympus. The XIII Prometheia will open in the 20th, 21st & 22nd of June at the Park Prometheus. Highlighting on a three-day inside the magnificent natural environment of the Mount of Gods, feeling the ancient Greeks and their world through philosophical debates, cultural and artistic events, sports activities and honouring the eusebeia and their perception of the divine.

Preparations for the great annual celebration which has been established by the Professor at the University of Stockholm, Tryfon Olympios, have begun. [...] Invite friends and friends who inspired by the vision of restoring the Greek values and ideals, and again to assist in any way (as individuals, groups or associations) the success of events.

Please contact Semeli Taurou at the following numbers (sorry not emails for general queries) +0030 210 2232712 and 6945 305347 or use the text facsimile +0030 210 2524 524.

Greek temple discovered in Alexandria

A team of archaeologists have unearthed a Greek temple in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, showing that the Greeks worshipped Pharaonic deities more than 2,500 years ago.

An official of the expedition said that the temple was found during the renovation of an area of Alexandria with the relics of the temple unearthed evidence that Greeks were influenced by the ancient Egyptian civilization.

He added that the Greeks believed in the holy trinity of Isis, Osiris and the child Horus, developing these gods after Alexander the great conquered the city in 332 BC.

Source: Egypt State Information Service 2005