Despite some earlier worries that it would be called off due to strikes, the planned August full moon late night opening of Archaeological sites in Greece is going ahead this evening (Tuesday 24th August).

This event has happened for a number of years now, with great success.

From:
Athens News Agency

08/24/2010
Archaeological sites open for August full moon

(ANA-MPA) — More than 90 archaeological sites around the country will remain open on Tuesday during the evening hours on the occasion of August’s full moon, the last of the summer.

The New Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis itself, the Cape Sounion site and the National Archaeological Museum in downtown Athens will remain open to the public, a more-or-less summer tradition over the past few years that was, nevertheless, threatened with cancellation this year to a disagreement between the relevant culture ministry and staff at the archaeological sites over extra pay.
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The Acropolis restoration is probably one of the longest running projects of its kind – The current programme of works started thirty five years ago. The completion of the works to the Propylaia – the gateway to the site marks a major milestone in the completion of these works.

From:
Athens News Agency

06/01/2010
Restoration of Acropolis Propylaea completed

All scaffolding and cranes were fully removed from the Propylaea of the Acropolis, the monumental entrance, or gateway, to the Acropolis, following completion of the restoration work on the central building of the structure.

The Propylaea was built under the direction of Athenian leader Pericles, but the building itself was designed by the architect Mnesicles, while construction began in 437 BCE and was terminated in 432 BCE, while the building was still unfinished.
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The restoration of the Propylaia which forms the gateway to the Acropolis has now been completed, ending another chapter in the Acropolis’s extensive restoration programme.

From:
Athens News Agency

12/22/2009
Restoration of Acropolis Propylaea completed

All scaffolding and cranes were fully removed from the Propylaea of the Acropolis, the monumental entrance, or gateway, to the Acropolis, on the weekend following completion of the restoration work on the central building of the structure.

The Propylaea was built under the direction of Athenian leader Pericles, but the building itself was designed by the architect Mnesicles, while construction began in 437 BCE and was terminated in 432 BCE, while the building was still unfinished.
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Michaelle Jean, Canada’s Governor General plans to make a visit to the New Acropolis Museum during a trip to Athens.

From:
Athens News Agency

11/02/2009
Canada’s Gov. General in Olympia

The Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, on Friday evening visited the “Art Matters” forum in Athens along with her Canadian filmmaker husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, with the focus on possible film co-productions between Greece and Canada as well as international film festivals.

Jean and her husband were welcomed to the forum — which was created by Lafond — by the president of the Greek Film Centre Giorgos Papalios.
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Whist on a visit to Athens, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, will be shown around the New Acropolis Museum.

From:
Athens News Agency

11/02/2009
UN chief in Athens

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to arrive in Athens on Tuesday to take part in a conference focusing on Inter-faith dialogue.

On Wednesday, Ban Ki Moon will address the 3rd Forum on Immigration and Development, during which he will be welcomed by Prime Minister George Papandreou. The forum will be held under the auspices of the interior ministry.
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Following the change in Greece’s government a few weeks ago, the new Culture & Tourism Minister has announced that the intentions to vigorously pursue the campaign to reunify all the surviving Parthenon sculptures in the New Acropolis Museum.

From:
Athens News Agency

10/27/2009
Culture ministry priorities

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos underlined Monday that his top priority would be to organise the newly merged ministry of culture and tourism and the solutions that need to be given to lingering problems, while clarifying that he is the only one responsible for the culture sector.

On the strategy being followed for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, Geroulanos stressed that the efforts will continue. He also noted that the British Museum appeared to be concerned, since it had taken the trouble to distribute leaflets giving its positions called “why the Marbles must stay” (at the British Museum).
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On a visit to the New Acropolis Museum, the Tokapi Museum’s director Ilber Ortayli has stated that “There is no reason for the sculptures to remain in the British Museum and this is why you must continue your effort for their return,”

From:
Athens News Agency

09/23/2009
Topkapi director Ortayli tours New Acropolis Museum

The director of the famed Topkapi Museum of Istanbul, Ilber Ortayli, was given a grand tour of the New Acropolis Museum on Tuesday by the latter’s director, Prof. Dimitris Pantermalis.

Ortayli arrived in Greece within the framework of an international science conference that will be organised in Istanbul by the NGO “Aegean State” late next month, where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who will be the keynote speaker.
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Greece is continuing the tradition of previous years, with a late night opening of the Acropolis site in Athens (along with numerous other sites) to coincide with the full moon.

From:
Athens News Agency

08/06/2009
August Full Moon events

The August full moon has always been a special event in Greece, as it is the time when the moon is so close as to give the impression that one only has to reach out to touch it.

In recent years, the Culture Ministry has established a tradition of opening up a large number of the countries archaeological sites, monuments and museums throughout the country on the night of the August Full Moon.
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The two buildings blocking the view from lower levels of the New Acropolis Museum have continually been a source of contention within Greece. A court decision to block their demolition may now put an end to this argument that has marred much of the press coverage about the New Acropolis Museum in the past two years.

From:
Athens News Agency

07/13/2009
Court blocks demolition of buildings near New Acropolis Museum

Demolition orders for two listed buildings at numbers 17 and 19 on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street in Athens, near the New Acropolis Museum, have been cancelled by the Council of State, Greece’s supreme administrative court. This accepted a petition by local residents that the two buildings remain standing and found that a culture ministry decision to remove them from a list of cultural heritage monuments was not legally sound.
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The Cyprus House of Representatives has called for “all countries as well as UNESCO to renew and intensify their efforts for the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece”.

From:
Athens News Agency

07/03/2009
Cyprus House call for Marbles

The Cyprus House of Representatives has called for the return of Parthenon sculptures to Greece. In a resolution which the House plenary adopted unanimously on Thursday, Cypriot MPs called on the British government and every other competent authority of the United Kingdom to give a definite end to the adventure of the Marbles, by returning them to their natural space.

Having debated the issue of the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece and taking into consideration the opening of the New Acropolis Museum, the House called on all countries as well as UNESCO to renew and intensify their efforts for the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece ”and for the reintegration of this unique element of the global cultural heritage to the natural space where it belongs”.
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In the seven days since its official opening, the New Acropolis Museum has already received ninety thousand visitors.

From:
Athens News Agency

06/30/2009
New Acropolis Museum visitors

The New Acropolis Museum received 90,000 visitors in the first seven days since its official inauguration on June 20, Culture Minister Antonis Samaras disclosed on Monday.

Speaking during a press conference, the minister said that the cost of the inauguration events, which were attended by several foreign heads of state and government, did not exceed the anticipated sum of 3 million euros, adding that the targets his ministry had set regarding the ceremony were met, especially the coverage from international mass media.
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The World Council of Hellenes Abroad is launching new international initiatives to support the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles now that the New Acropolis Museum is completed.

From:
Athens News Agency

06/29/2009
SAE Youth Network global initiative for return of Parthenon Marbles

The World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Youth Network announced on Sunday that it was launching a global initiative for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

Youth Network coordinators, who attended a SAE presidium conference in Thessaloniki, announced the launch of three initiatives. Through the use of modern technology, the SAE youth will create an electronic petition that will be addressed not only to the young people of Greek descent, but also to the youth of the countries in which they live.
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