Foto's

Dear all, I made it to Athens! I was especially happy to cross my foot steps with the paths of the Ancient Agora and breathe the air in the Stoa of Attalos. The irony is that I could not take any photos there. Not because of some interdiction, but because I was too impressed to live a dream. Again!

Not completely turned off, I managed to take a few photos on the Acropolis and other places in Athens. They are working hard on a program of restoration and reconstruction carried out by the Greek Ministry of Culture. The project began in 1975 and later attracted funding and technical assistance from the European Union. Architects carefully document every artifact remaining on the site and try to determine their original locations, assisted by computer programs. Particularly important and fragile sculptures were transferred to the Acropolis Museum.

In the image you have the Parthenon (ancient Greek: Παρθενών), the main monument on the Acropolis. Dedicated to Greek goddess Athena, the temple was inaugurated in 438 BC during the celebration of the Panathenaic Games. Built on the site of an older temple of Athena, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church during the Byzantine era and later into a mosque. It remains the most important surviving building of Classical Greece.

In the end of the 17th century, the building and its sculptures were severely damaged by an explosion caused by the ignition of Ottoman munitions dump inside the monument. The touch of time, together with acid rain and car pollutants caused even more damage.

The crane you see in the image was installed for moving marble blocks. It is designed to fold away beneath the roofline when not in use.

In the WS, two specialists working inside the Erechteion.