Archaeological sites in Athens will temporary close on Thursday , June 13, during the peak hours of the heatwave as temperature is forecast to rise to 41 degrees Celsius.
According to an announcement of the Culture Ministry, archaeological sites will be closed from 12 noon until 5 o’ clock in the afternoon.
Those who have issued tickets for the period 12.00 to 17.00, can visit the sites after they reopens at 17.00, in the period 17.00 to 20.00.
Those visiting archaeological sites until 12 noon and after 5 pm are advised to take self-protection measures to avoid health problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, the Culture Ministry said.
A day earlier, the Ministry had temporary closed only the Acropolis of Athens for the same reason.
UPDATE
A few hours later, the Culture Ministry issued another statement expanding the temporary closure of archaeological sites also to other regions next to Attca.
Citing the updated emergency weather bulletin, the Ministry said that site in following regions will also be closed between 12 noon and 5 p.m.
These sites are in Crete, Dodecanese, Cyclades, Peloponnese and Attica including the archaeological sites of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens.
Open as usual are “the archaeological sites of major importance and visitation of Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Knossos, Dodoni, as well as those in the region of Corinth and Aitoloakarnania, Corfu, Epirus, Western and Central Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaly outside the prefecture of Magnesia and Trikala.
The public is requested to contact the relevant Ephorates of Antiquities, the ministry stressed.