Stifling heat in Athens has forced its top attraction, the Acropolis, to close to tourists in the afternoon for the second time this month, with plans to open in the cooler hours of the evening. But a strike by workers at that location and others, due to hazardous working conditions, is likely to keep it closed for the afternoon as extreme temperatures continue.
Greece is suffering from its second heat wave in as many weeks, and temperatures in Athens are expected to reach 111 degrees Fahrenheit, or 44 degrees Celsius, on Sunday. Workers say the heat poses a potential risk to them and visitors, and they stopped work Thursday and Friday at noon and plan to continue until at least Sunday. Their union says it will reassess the situation on Monday.
The union’s head, Ioannis Mavrikopoulos, told Greek Radio on Friday morning that the temperature at the site of the Acropolis, home to the gleaming white marble Parthenon monument and some shade trees, had reached about 118 degrees Fahrenheit, or 48 degrees Celsius. The Acropolis is located on a rocky outcrop high above Athens.
Mr Mavrikopoulos claimed between 20 and 25 visitors passed out daily at the site, adding that similar problems had been reported at two other popular sites: the ancient palace of Knossos in Crete and ancient Olympia in northern Greece.
The strike means that the Acropolis will only be open to tourists for four hours a day, from opening at 8am until noon. The site has had about 21,000 visitors a day this summer, more than a third more than last year.
Despite the sweltering temperatures, tourists kept trying to visit the Acropolis, the ancient citadel of Greece, and the magnificent Parthenon monument, known as a model of classical architecture, but also for the sculptures that were hacked off the Parthenon in the early 1800s and have been in the British Museum ever since.
The site draws millions of people each year, and this summer they waited under canopies on the pathways to the Acropolis as Red Cross volunteers handed out bottles of water to keep them hydrated. The turnout seems to have died down somewhat compared to early last week, when television footage showed a huge crowd of people shuffling through the site.
Visitors who booked in advance but were denied entry to the Acropolis can use their tickets at any time during the coming year, a culture ministry official said.
Forecasts suggest Greece will see a small drop in temperatures on Monday, but that is expected to be followed by a third heat wave two days later. With sweltering temperatures lasting well past sunset, it’s likely the country’s archaeological sites will continue to limit afternoon visits.
