Eight interventions being planned to upgrade Acropolis site

The Culture Ministry is planning eight interventions to improve access, safety and cost-efficiency at the Athens Acropolis, Greece’s foremost archaeological monument, which receives some 1.5 million visitors a year.

Two of these interventions are aimed at helping wheelchair users to visit the ancient citadel, with the installation of a new lift, access ramps and paths. Improvements to the lighting on the hill are also in the works, both for making it safer for pedestrians and for showing the Parthenon in a more flattering light.

Expected to be installed in August, the new lighting system will use 40 percent less power and 60 percent fewer bulbs than the current one.

The former Acropolis museum, meanwhile, will be used to enhance the visitor experience following an international tender for its remodeling, while the ticket sales system will also be made more efficient and the gift shops stocked with more attractive souvenirs.

Upgrading the site’s electrical network and improving its protection against lightning – after four people were injured last summer during a thunderstorm – are also on the cards.

Meanwhile, the Acropolis Museum announced a two-week postponement of three planned events as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. The events are “A Walk in the Museum with an Archaeologist,” “The Lost Statue of Athena Parthenos,” and “Chisel and Memory – The Contribution of Marble Craftsmanship to the Restoration of the Acropolis Monuments.”