A historic building located in the shadow of the Acropolis (and now next to the new Acropolis museum) is in danger of being demolished because it stands in the way of a new cafeteria that will be a part of the new Acropolis museum. The building, located at 17 Dionysiou Areopagitou str. has been listed as a historic monument by the government. It is part of a originally larger building that was built in 1922, after the Asia Minor Catastrophe sent hundreds of thousands of Greeks to the city. Preservasionists and locals are fighting to make sure the building is not razed, while developers are fighting to de-list the historic buildilng as "historic" paving way for its destruction.
The vote of the future of the building now rests in the hands of the Culture Minister Voulgarakis, and a large group of volunteers are trying to get the word out for people to do their part in saving the building.
DF: Thanks to Renee and Manolis for telling us about this...To add your name to the growing list of supporters for the building, and/or to send an email to the culture minister, click on the website below. Do you think that the government should raze the building to make room for the cafeteria, or should the building be saved?
http://www.areopagitou17.blogspot.com/
posted on Tuesday, July 17
Continuing his "25 live tour" which began in September of 2006, George Michael will be giving a performance in Athens on July 26th at the Olympic Stadium. After a relative lull in his career, the musician has seen a steady increase of publicity since the release of his latest album " Twenty Five." Ticket sales have been very " hot " but seats are still available.
DF: George Michael (Georgios-Kyriacos Panayiotou is his birth name) has a Greek Cypriot father. Do you think his career is done or does he still have some juice?
George Michael
Event Info
posted on Friday, July 13
Following a recent resolution by the New Zealand parliament in favour of the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece, Emmanuel Komino (the head behind the New Zealand Elgin Marbles committee) has said that efforts were continuing in New Zealand, so that their initiative could be imitated by other parliaments in the international community, where other movements are underway for the marbles’ return.
The statement from New Zealand reads as follows:
"That this House joins its voice to that of other countries and urges the British Government to support the return of the Parthenon (Elgin) marbles to Greece, stressing the need for the collections of marbles in different locations to be reunited so the world can see them in their original context in relation to the Temple of Parthenon as an act of respect to one of the most significant monuments of Western heritage."
DF: The Elgin Marbles remain a huge draw the British Museum.
Parthernon International
posted on Wednesday, July 11
A new museum of culture was inaugurated on Sunday in the historic municipality of Kallithea on the island of Rhodes, one of the most popular tourist areas on the Dodecanese isle.
The ceremony for the new nine-million-euro museum was attended by Tourism Development Minister Fani Palli-Petralia, MPs elected from the area, local officials and Deputy FM Yiannis Valinakis. The area is more well known for its party life and snorkling than its history ( British tabloids love to follow the young party goers around the town) but local officials hope that this will only help increase tourism to the area.
posted on Wednesday, July 4
The old city of Corfu has been added to the list of UNESCO's world heritage monuments as of last Thursday.
Corfu is the 17th Greek location to be added to UNESCO's world cultural and natural heritage list, but its entry had experienced many obstacles since 1999, when the Greek request had been made initially.
DF: In the link below you will see the 17 sites in Greece that are under the UNESCO world heritage list and an additional 8 sites which are under consideration.
UNESCO Greece
In a ceremony honoring the spirit of the Special Olympics movement, the "Flame of Hope" for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games was lit this past weekend in Athens, Greece. The flame will travel over 35,000 kilometers (22,000 miles), touching down on five continents over the next three months before arriving in Shanghai, where it will ignite the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the 2007 World Games on October 2nd.
Special Olympics
In other sports related news, Athens hosted on July 1 the "Grand Prix Tsiklitiria" - a historic Track and Field meeting first held in 1963. Over 10,000 spectators gathered at the Olympic Stadium to watch atheltes compete in 20 track and field events. For results check out the link below:
Tsiklitiria Results
The parade of artifacts and antiquities returning to Greece continues. A statue of the Greek god Apollo that was stolen from a museum in Crete in the 1990s, along with 9 other items, was returned to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens after a Swiss art dealer found the item.
Under a deal with Switzerland, any illegally transported or stolen artifacts found in the country, must be returned to Greece.
DF: We love it. More pressure on the British Museum to give back our Elgin Marbles.
Reuters
posted on Friday, June 15
The National Gallery of Athens is bursting at its seams. The country's leading gallery has been overcrowded for many years and for that reason last month was given the go ahead by Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis to expand. A new 6,000 sq meter addition, costing over 32 million euros will include new exhibition space, an amphitheater, a sales point and modern storerooms.
The new space should be open by 2010.
Kathimerini
posted on Wednesday, June 13
Pornographic films from the 1960s intertwined with the Greek National anthem? It was content of this nature that led police to shut down the Art Athina show on Saturday. The shut down the video exhibit and arrested its curator Michalis Argyros who spent the night in jail.
The Art Athina show, spearheaded by the Culture Ministry of Greece, was discovered to displaying this sort of "art" after a tipster made a call into police.
At least one Greek newspaper, Ελευθεροτυπία is up in arms about the matter, saying the government has no business in censoring art.
DF: Government funded or not, poor taste shouldn't be confused with a crime...
- Law is mind without reason. -Aristotle
Reuters (via iol)
art-athina
posted on Wednesday, June 6
Visiting the Acropolis soon? Your view will most likely be obstructed the three largest cranes in Europe as architects and museum officials begin the process of transferring the antiquities that are in the current Acropolis museum, as well as some friezes off the Parthenon, into the new museum at the base of the Acropolis. ( The artifacts will have to be moved about 400 meters.)
Culture Minister Voulgarakis is not taking any chance with the antiquities and has promised that they will be transported as carefully as possible. The current Acropolis museum will close its doors in July so that the transfer of objects can take place.
DF: That old museum site would make for a great cafe! Also some good news, the Acropolis is on its way as being one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was recently ranked among the top 10 places chosen by voters. Final seven will be revealed later this year.
Kathimerini
PR Acropolis
posted on Thursday, May 31
