Nov 25, 2005, 19:05 GMT
Athens - Archaeologists conducting restoration work on the Acropolis said heavy rain is eroding the foundation of the ancient structure.
The sky with a rain clouds over the Acropolis in Athens on Monday,17 October 2005. The Acropolis hill, so called the 'Sacred Rock' of Athens, is the most important site of the city. During Perikles' Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground. The first habitation remains on the Acropolis date from the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, the rocky hill was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area or both. EPA/VASSIL DONEV
Restorers have spend decades replacing rusted iron clamps and cement inserts on the Acropolis' three main monuments, the Parthenon, the Propylea and the temple of Athena Nike, after a misguided attempt to strengthen the temple was conducted earlier this century by Greek civil engineer Nikos Balanos.
In 1975, a team of archaeologists, architects and engineers launched an ambitious 25 million dollar restoration project.
Now restorers insist that rainwater seeping through cracks has caused its foundations to subside.
Architect Manolis Korres, in charge of the restoration, told experts from the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) earlier this week that the absence of a roof has allowed rain into the temple, thus eroding its foundations. He recommended erecting a roof above the 5th century BC monument to prevent any more damage.
'Water has started trickling through the seams. This will increase when the temporary floor is removed,' Korres was quoted as telling Greek media.
The government, on the other hand, said the stability of the temple was not in danger and ruled out the possibility of a roof being build.
'Covering the whole temple floor with a temporary floor for the past 23 years has completely dried out the foundations so there is absolutely no danger,' said deputy culture minister Petros Tatoulis.
Originally dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens, the Parthenon has served as a pagan shrine, Christian church, citadel and mosque. Much of the northern colonnade was seriously damaged when the Venetians bombed it in an attack against the Turks in 1687.
The Parthenon's run of bad luck continued when the British ambassador in Constantinople, Lord Elgin, removed a large part of the sculptural decoration of the monument and transferred them to England at the beginning of the 19th century. Dozens of friezes and metopes were sold to the British Museum, where they are still exhibited today.
The current restoration project is the third such attempt on the temple. The Ottomans tore the temple down in 1686 and used it as an artillery position. The pieces were discovered during an excavation in 1835, and the temple was reconstructed over a period of seven years.
In the late 1930s, Balamos had to dismantle and rebuild the temple owing to problems with the foundations.
On Friday, a 15-member International Committee for the Return of the Elgin Marbles visted Athens and met with Greek President Carolos Papoulias.
'I hope that the marbles will be returned to Athens because the strong took them away from the weak,' said Papoulias.
Your Talkback on this Story