Acropolis closes at hottest hours amid Greece heatwave

An employee closes the access gate to the Acropolis archaeological site in Athens on July 14, 2023. — AFP pic

Friday, 14 Jul 2023 11:57 PM MYT

ATHENS, July 14 — The Athens Acropolis, Greece’s top tourist attraction, closed during the hottest hours today as the country wilts under a heatwave.

Access to the Unesco-listed archaeological site dating to antiquity is being suspended between midday and 5pm (0900 GMT and 1400 GMT/5pm and 10pm Malaysian time) before reopening “to protect workers and visitors”, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni told public broadcaster ERT.

“It’s highly likely that we will take the same measure tomorrow (Saturday),” she said.

Temperatures were expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius in Athens today and tomorrow, but at the summit of the Acropolis it feels hotter, she added.

Other popular tourist sites surrounding the Sacred Rock on which the Acropolis stands, such as the Ancient Agora, will remain open.

The Acropolis, which has seen a major rise in visitor numbers in recent months, is normally open from 8am to 8pm every day.

Some tourists were left disappointed in front of the site’s closed entrance, saying the official website had not provided enough information.

“I am not feeling really comfortable about it, but what can we do?” said Serbian human resources director Sonya Ivkovic, who planned to return for the reopening at 5pm.

“We weren’t expecting it, we just came and thought it would be open,” Emelie Den, a doctor from Australia, told AFP. “Kind of caught us off guard but makes sense, it is really, really hot today… we’ve been drinking lots.”

A summer heatwave is hitting several Mediterranean countries, with the mercury soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in parts of northern and western Greece today.

National weather forecaster EMY said today’s peak temperature could hit 44 degrees Celsius and predicted more searing heat for tomorrow.

A photo shows mobile units of the Hellenic Red Cross, used to handout bottles of water, parked at the bottom of the Acropolis hill in Athens, on July 14, 2023. — AFP pic

The authorities have in recent days taken measures to help people cope. The Red Cross deployed at the Acropolis yesterday to hand out water bottles and help visitors suffering from the heat.

Shelters were set up near the entrance at the start of the week to protect the thousands of sightseers who come to admire the Parthenon from the Acropolis.

The authorities have warned about a greater risk of fires, particularly in regions where strong winds are expected.

Greece suffered major wildfires in 2021 as an exceptionally intense heatwave gripped the country. — AFP

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