Greece’s national lockdown will lift on Dec. 14 and then visitors can enjoy these new features which allow more people to enjoy and visit the greatness of ancient Greece.
Indeed, when the ancient Greeks thought of building the Acropolis in Athens in 461 B.C. under Pericles’ supervision, they had no idea that it’ll attract visitors from all over the world and that some of those visitors may have limited mobility.
Fortunately, centuries later, this impressive site has called upon its present architects to start making the Acropolis more easily accessible for everyone.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece’s Prime Minister has announced that Acropolis will induct some new facilities meant to make the site fully accessible to wheelchair-bound tourists and others with disabilities. Greece’s officials chose the International Day of People with Disabilities to inaugurate. An elevator will be added to the north face of the hill, along with artificial stone pathways.
“The project, which was funded by the private Onassis Foundation has made the Acropolis accessible to everyone. Now without difficulty, associated with the new facilities, they could route up to the Hill of Acropolis,” said Mitsotakis.
Experts say that this project has a new 500-meter network of 13-foot-wide pathways of excessive concrete. The Culture Ministry followed this statement and added that the previous network, which belongs to the 1960s, made heavier use of concrete and was so badly damaged that it could have endangered visitors.
This historical site is a heritage for the world, so it should be considered as a project for the whole world and, under normal statuses, it should unite everyone. The Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions but is expected to reopen when the national lockdown lifts on.
Other World Heritage Sites might want to consider Acropolis as an example and do the same thing for well-known sites. Many visitors like to see them and enjoy it and certainly, among them are those with moving disabilities.