Heat wave closes Acropolis

A guard at the Acropolis shuts down the ticket machines Thursday, after the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities decided to close the world-famous site from 1 to 5 p.m. – the hottest part of the day – due to a heat wave. The decision to close the site as temperatures in the Greek capital approached 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) left hundreds of tourists disappointed outside the locked gates of the 5th century citadel. Visitors who had tickets to visit the site and were unable to do so can email [email protected] for information about refunds. [ANA-MPA]