Ancient site of Philippi awaits UNESCO decision

An aerial view of the archaeological site of Philippi in northern Greece is seen in a file photo. The site is the location of the oldest Neolithic settlement in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and one of the largest in the Balkans. The Apostle Paul was beaten and imprisoned at the site in around AD 50 after converting a local slave girl with fortunetelling gifts to Christianity and angering her owners. Greece’s request for Philippi to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which was submitted last year, is to be discussed on July 15 at a summit in Istanbul. [ANA/MPA]