Bereft of state help, a group of architects, archeologists, and ordinary citizens are banding together to save Athens’ historic buildings—and succeeding
ne day in 2006, Irini Gratsia was walking through Athens and wondering why nothing was being done to save the city’s historic pre-War buildings. Although Greece has stringent archeological laws to protect antiquities, the city’s modern architectural heritage–which began in 1834 with the establishment of Athens as the capital of a newly independent Greece–has largely been ignored.
The post-War building spree is often given as the reason for Athens’ oppressive concrete appearance. And yet, walking through Athens today, you can still spot these pre-War survivors. There are a surprising number of them, largely hidden, subsumed, and sometimes entombed by their concrete surroundings. But they’re still there, surviving.
Recording buildings is one thing, saving them is another. “Demolishing listed buildings is something which unfortunately happens very often in Greece,” says Stelios Lekakis, an archeologist and co-founder of Monumenta. “So we needed to set up a system whereby people can call us if they suspect a building is in trouble.”
The Monumenta office in the trendy Athenian neighborhood of Psyrri is a hive of activity. Young researchers meticulously clean the pages of century-old manuscripts, while others are busy creating Monumenta’s digital archive, which will include an online map of every historical building in Athens. You sense a real passion for their work. There has to be in Greece, where NGOs are a relatively novel concept and state institutions still use fax machines to communicate.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
The Plague of Athens killed tens of thousands, but its cause remains a mysteryKilling nearly a third of the population, an epidemic ripped through Athens in 430 B.C. Historic accounts and new technology are helping identify the true culprit.
Baca lebih lajut »
Elusive whale stranded near beach in coastal AthensRescuers on Friday were trying to free a beaked whale which has surfaced in Greek waters, trapped near a beach on the Athens riviera, officials said.
Baca lebih lajut »
Mail began to pile up at a home. The local mail carrier noticed and saved a woman's lifeA New Hampshire postal worker is now a local hero after she noticed mail was piling up at a home and helped save a woman's life.
Baca lebih lajut »
Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldn’t re-sign him: ‘I am done at Channel 2’Somerville does not believe that his Dec. 30 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence was a factor in KTVU’s decision, saying managers had decided to cut him loose months earlier.
Baca lebih lajut »