Backgrounder: Restoration work on the Athenian Acropolis

The conservation and restoration work on the Athenian Acropolis began after the establishment of the Greek state and has never ceased. The preservation and promotion of the greatest and finest symbol of ancient Greek glory is an issue of national importance for modern Greece.

The excellence of ancient architecture and building techniques assured the strong resistance of the monuments to forces of nature for many centuries. But time and human interference, including failed early rescue interventions, upset the balance of the ancient constructions and caused damage.

In the early 20th century the first large-scale restoration project was carried out. The use of ordinary iron for joining fragments of architectural members or for increasing the durability of others is one of the challenges experts in recent years had to deal with.

Most of the damage suffered by the monuments and now being confronted as part of the contemporary interventions which commenced in 1975 regards mechanical problems, including damage by earthquakes, bombardments and fires, as well as chemical issues, such as the erosion suffered by the marble due to atmospheric pollution and acid rain.

The main goal is to reverse the decay and damage of centuries of pollution and human intervention, to maintain the structural integrity and authenticity of the Acropolis hill monuments and hand them over as well preserved as possible to future generations.

For the protection, conservation and restoration works on the Sacred Rock, a multidisciplinary scientific panel of specialists, the Committee for the Restoration and Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments (ESMA), was founded in 1975 and is responsible for planning and supervising interventions.

In 1999, the establishment of the Acropolis Restoration Service (YSMA) which realizes the projects allowed the recruitment of more highly qualified academic and technical personnel.

The extensive research program and the innovative advanced technological methods applied have rendered the work carried out on the Acropolis internationally recognized.

For the reinforcing of broken stones Greek experts resorted to titanium, while the techniques and tools used for restoration work are similar to those of the ancient craftsmen. The white marble used for completing the eroded architectural elements is quarried from the same mountain as in antiquity, Penteli.

The authentic sculptures which were removed and transferred to the Acropolis museum were replaced by exact copies.

The financial resources for the works on the site are derived from the Greek state budget and European Union funds. Endit