The authorities have studied the impact of fires, rockfalls or rising waters on 19 sites which must be urgently preserved.
Fires, heatwaves and rising water levels… The disasters that have repeatedly hit the country in recent years have prompted the Greek government to take a closer look at the protection of priceless archaeological sites that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the country each year.
Many archaeological sites in rural areas need to be developed, according to the authorities, in case it is necessary to urgently evacuate a crowd of tourists. Following a three-year study by the country’s scientific institutions, the Greek Ministry of Culture has identified 19 monuments most urgently in need of protection against natural threats. The ministry says this is the first time that an assessment of this magnitude on a national scale has been carried out.
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Sites examined include Olympia, usually threatened by forest fires, the ancient theater of Delphi, where falling rocks are a concern, and the sanctuary of Dion, prone to flooding.
Olympia Mayor Aristides Panagiotopoulos told AFP that protecting the birthplace of the Olympics, which houses the ancient stadium, a vast sanctuary and two museums, required “With constant vigilance”. “We remain concerned, because the area of ancient Olympia is extensive, with a large area of greenery and dense vegetation, often uncontrolled and spontaneous.”explained Aristides Panagiotopoulos in an email. “Despite the important interventions that have been made, it is clear that they are not enoughâ€he added.
In 2007, forest fires in Olympia devastated the nature around the archaeological site and left more than 40 people dead in the wider region of Elis. Panagiotis Lattas, the head of forestry services for the Elis region, told AFP that major fires had broken out near the site in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Panagiotis Lattas stressed that both urban and agricultural areas must be imperatively cleared before the fire season. “This year, after a very large amount of precipitation – around 40% above the annual average – the vegetation is particularly abundant.”at-il having you.
Plan à long terme
Greece has already reduced visiting hours at its busiest archaeological site, the Acropolis in Athens, to protect visitors from heatwaves during the hottest hours of the day. But the multiplication of extreme phenomena requires more measures.
From 2022 to 2025, scientists from the National University of Athens and the National Research Foundation examined past and present climatic and geological conditions at the 19 sites, studying past damage to better determine their vulnerability to extreme phenomena.
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Exposure to fires, floods, heat waves and sea level rise was analyzed by a team of climatologists, geologists, engineers, conservators, architects and materials specialists. In addition to Olympia, Delphi and Dion, they notably scrutinized Mycenae and Mystras in the Peloponnese, the Minoan palaces including Knossos in Crete, the ancient city of Rhodes, as well as the small island of Delos and the Heraion of the island of Samos, faced with coastal erosion.
The Athens National Observatory and the capital’s Demokritos research center also contributed to the project with studies on weather, forest fires and building resilience, thanks to European and national funding of more than €20 million. The aim is to protect 40 sites by 2030, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said at a conference in Athens last month.
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“Our homeland has an exceptionally high density and wide geographic distribution of open-air monuments, inseparably linked to the landscape, which are exposed to temperature fluctuations, increased humidity, heavy precipitation and wind.” »declared Lina Mendoni during this presentation.
“Climate change does not necessarily create entirely new risks. It most often intensifies those that already exist, increasing the frequency and severity of the phenomena.”she emphasized. According to the Ministry of Culture, new fire sensors at 21 sites are to be installed this year, as well as fire protection plans drawn up for more than 60 archaeological sites.
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Ancient Olympia attracted, according to official statistics, in 2024 more than 300,000 visitors. Knossos welcomed more than a million, and Delphi more than 290,000. The mayor of Delphi, Panagiotis Tagalis, explained to AFP that rockfalls on the Amfissa-Livadia road in November 2024 had “Caused serious access problems to the archaeological site and museum of Delphi, for residents, employees, businesses and visitors throughout the regionâ€. The Culture Ministry installed a metal trellis on the cliff sides overlooking the archaeological site, and the municipality said it had cleared a nearby rural road to serve as an emergency route.
