The Acropolis of Athens, Greece’s ancient and most-visited landmark, will remain closed on Friday during the hottest hours of the day and most likely on Saturday as well due to the heatwave hitting the country as part of Europe, announced the Greek Minister of Culture.
“To protect workers and (…) visitors, a closure of the archaeological site is required at least during +peak temperatures+ from 12:00 to 17:00 (9:00 GMT to 14:00 GMT),” gave Lina Mendoni on the public television station ERT.
“It is very likely that tomorrow (Saturday) we will take the same approach,” she added.
The minister explained that while temperatures of 40 to 41°C are expected in Athens on Friday and Saturday, at the top of the Acropolis “the actual temperature felt by the body (…) is considerably higher”.
Earlier, the Archaeological Ephoria of the City of Athens issued a press release announcing the closure of the UNESCO-listed site during Friday’s hottest hours.
Around the Sacred Rock, the Ancient Agora or Ancient Ceramic Cemetery remain open.
The Acropolis site, which has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers in recent months, is normally open from 8:00 a.m. local time (5:00 GMT) to 8:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. GMT).
Like the other countries around the Mediterranean Sea, Greece has been hit by the first heat wave of the summer since Wednesday. In the north and west of the country, temperatures are likely to be above 40°C, depending on the weather conditions.
The authorities have taken numerous measures in recent days to deal with this heat wave, which this year was the first in this Mediterranean country where such phenomena occur.
The Red Cross was on duty at the foot of the Acropolis on Thursday to distribute bottled water and assist tourists who may be sunstroked or fainting due to the heat.
“We will be distributing at least 30,000 50cl bottles of water every day,” Antonios Avgerinos, president of the Greek Red Cross, told AFP.
Since the beginning of the week, awnings have also been installed near the entrance desks to protect the thousands of visitors who came to admire the Parthenon at the top of the Acropolis, a masterpiece of the “classical” era of antiquity. (5th century BC) .
At midday on Friday, the thermometer should read 39C in Athens, 40C to 42C in the north and west of the country and 43C in Thessaly (centre), according to the national meteorological services EMY, forecasting the same temperatures for Saturday.
In light of this heat wave, the Greek authorities are warning of a high risk of fire, especially in regions where strong winds are expected.
Fierce fires broke out in Greece in the summer of 2021 due to an exceptional heat wave.
Even the Acropolis, visited by more than 3 million people last year, was closed during the hottest hours of the day.