Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Wednesday, October 23 at the Maximus Mansion with Antonis Papadimitriou, President of the Onassis Foundation, regarding the Foundation’s contribution to upgrading the infrastructure on the Hill of the Acropolis.

During the meeting, at which Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and the Onassis Foundation’s Director of Culture Afroditi Panagiotakou were also present, Mr. Papadimitriou informed the Prime Minister of the Foundation’s decision to fund the installation of a modern platform lift (in place of the current lift and hoist), as well as the renovation and upgrading of the night illumination of the archaeological site.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis thanked Mr. Papadimitriou for the Foundation’s valuable contribution. He stressed that through its actions, the Foundation “projects the face of a Greece that has always maintained its values and sensitivity, particularly toward its cultural heritage, which comprises the heritage of all of humanity.”

Ms. Mendoni thanked Mr. Papadimitriou for the Onassis Foundation’s long-standing and constructive collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and noted that, “The Foundation’s financial support is important for the improvement of the infrastructure and services that are offered to the thousands of visitors that come to the archaeological site of the Acropolis. It is particularly important given the fact that the Acropolis is a primary image of Greece.”

In turn, Mr. Papadimitriou noted that “With these actions on the Hill of the Acropolis, the Onassis Foundation affirms its deep belief that culture is an issue of democracy, one that concerns society as a whole. By installing a wheelchair platform lift, we solve a practical, but also a symbolic issue: we stress the importance of equal access for all. We are also renewing the illumination of the Acropolis as a small gesture of respect to the monument and to the archaeologists that protect it in all of our names—because, in the end, the Acropolis will continue to illuminate us.

For the Onassis Foundation, everything is an issue of education. The Acropolis, as a monument that expresses Athenian Democracy, cannot help but comprise a priority. The monument continues to stand there, with or without us. But we have an obligation to renew its symbolism, according to the needs of the age. In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Onassis Foundation gives residents of Athens a new incentive to rediscover their city.

This effort is part of a broader strategy we have outlined for our city, Athens, with actions that will be announced in the coming months.”

The existing lift and hoist system will be replaced by a modern wheelchair platform lift, as is now customary in similar situations elsewhere in the world; the platform lift will provide the best possible accommodations for people with mobility impairments.

As for the lighting infrastructure, which was installed in 2004 in time for the Olympic Games, the plan calls for a comprehensive upgrade on the basis of the original study, so that the lines and shadows of the monuments and the rock can emerge anew from the new environment of the nighttime Athens of today.

Both projects are projected to be completed by summer 2020, while the cost is estimated at 1.5 million euros.

 

In 490 BC the Persians are defeated at the Battle of Marathon, despite outnumbering the Athenians four to one. Pheidippides an Athenian messenger is sent to Athens, 42km away, to deliver the victorious news. Upon his arrival, Pheidippides manages to utter the joyful words, νικῶμεν (nikomen)—“we have won”—and then collapses. Most historical accounts suggest that he died there and then from exhaustion. This could be a romanticized version of the events; though to be fair, Pheidippides had also just legged it 240km from Athens to Sparta and back again to ask for help when the Persian fleet landed in a bay near the town of Marathon.

Today, more than 1,500 marathon races are organized around the world. However, Greece is where it all began; at the first modern Olympic Games that were held in Athens in 1896, the 42km race from Marathon to Athens was one of the defining events of the new Olympic era, a way of reviving the ancient glory of Greece. Fittingly, a Greek water-carrier, Spyridon Louis, won the race in 2 hours, 58 minutes and 50 seconds. Every year, long-distance runners from all over the world come to Athens to challenge their body and spirit to retrace the legendary footsteps of Pheidippides. With its combination of hills, heat, and history, many consider it the toughest—but most poetic—Marathon route of them all.

About a decade ago, there were 10,000 participants running through the city in various races during the Athens Marathon. In 2019, there were about 50,000 runners, and thousands cheering on the sidelines, celebrating the power of human endurance and the strong bonds of international community!

To read this article in full, visit: www.thisisathens.org

---

An excellent debut for the Greek rugby team as they will be making their debut appearance at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England after defeating Serbia 82-6 in Belgrade.

"We hope it's the step forward needed and everyone back home will be proud of us." said head coach Steve Georgallis. Greece's win comes against a backdrop of turmoil in their home country.

The 16th and final qualifier for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be decided in Florida on November 16, when the Cook Islands Kukis play against the USA Hawks.

Surprisingly enough, the Greek team is not currently allowed to play matches in their home country as the Greek administration and the Hellenic Modern Pentathlon Federation do not recognize the Greek Rugby League Association. Consequently, it is challenging to acquire facilities, while the police have been called to matches on various occasions.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances in Greek rugby, this historic Greek qualification has not been celebrated appropriately.


To read this article in full, please visit: bbc.com
Photo: Greek Rugby League Association

The Greek police has announced the schedule of the traffic regulations and street shutdowns that will take place in the Marathon area and central Athens on the occasion of the annual Authentic Marathon race and other smaller races on Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10.

On Saturday, November 9, between 17.00-19.00, a 10km race will take place from Vassilissis Sofias Ave near Syntagma Square to the Panathenaic Stadium; some of the streets it will pass through include Panepistimiou, Messoghion, Fidippidou and Irodou Attikou. On Sunday, November 10, between 09.00-17.45, the 37th Authentic Marathon route will follow Marathonos Avenue to the Panathenaic Stadium via Messoghion Ave, Michalakopoulou Ave, Vassilissis Sofias Ave, and Irodou Attikou, among others.

08.00-10.00: 5km road race, through the streets of Panepistimiou, Akadimias, the NIMITS hospital area.

 

10.05-10.20: Special Olympics Hellas Fun Run 1200m. Starts from Vassilissis Sofias Avenue outside Greek Parliament Finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium.

 

10.20-10.40: Kids' Fun Run 1200m. Starts from Vas. Sofias Avenue outside Greek Parliament. Finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium.

 

10.35-11.00: Team Road Race ERGO 3km. Starts from Vas. Amalias Ave. in front of Ippokratio Hospital. Finishes inside the Panathenaic Stadium.

In addition, short children's races will be held by local municipalities along the Marathon towns. In general, traffic restrictions will be introduced early on Saturday morning and stay in place, by location, until late afternoon on Sunday.

In Athens, in particular, vehicles will not be allowed to park on several streets until as late as 20:30. Please also note that bicycle riders and pedestrians are not allowed on the streets runners will use, and they will also not allowed to cross these streets during the race.

For further information and a detailed schedule of traffic restrictions, please visit: Hellenic Police (Greek Only)

Following the success of the presentations about the lost statue of Athena Parthenos that took place on the National holiday of 28 October, the Acropolis Museum invites its visitors to a new round of presentations that will take place every Saturday from 9 November to 14 December 2019.

The Museum invites its visitors on a walk of knowledge about the statue of Athena Parthenos, its construction materials and techniques, its myths and allegories, its radiance and adventures.

Dates: Every Saturday from 9/11 to 14/12
Greek: at 1 p.m.
English: at 11 a.m.
Duration: 50 minutes
Participation: Limited to 30 visitors per session. For registration, please refer
to the Information Desk at the Museum entrance on the same day, half an hour
before the presentation start time. First-in first-served.
Price: Only the general admission fee to the Museum is required (5 euro).

The fossilized remains of two new unknown snake species have been discovered near the city of Serres in northern Greece.

 

The Greek researcher who discovered the fossils that are dated back 5,5 to 6,0 million years, has named them Periergophis micros and Paraxenophis spanios.

 

“These two new snakes have new names because they belong to a totally new species and are completely different from any other species. The strange thing is that such vertebral anatomy has not been observed anywhere else and there is nothing, either in modern or in extinct serpent species, that even comes close to the morphology of these new species,” palaeontologist Dr Giorgos Georgalis told AMNA.

Dr Georgalis has published a scientific paper about his discovery, in collaboration with other scientists from German, Czech, and Swiss universities. According to Georgalis the serpents are so unique that it is hard to classify them under any known family, so they have understood that they belong to a new species.

To read this article in full, please visit: The National Herald

Athens Digital Arts Festival is organizing for the first time a new Art, Science & Technology Exhibition, under the title Extending Reality | CoExistence: Art, Science & Technology, at the Eugenides Foundation, the New Digital Planetarium, in Athens.

The aim of this new exhibition is to highlight the dynamics of modern media in everyday life through a fun and interactive program. It will be full of experiences for everyone who wants to learn and acquaintance with the contemporary ways in which the coexistence of Art, Technology and Science.

The program of Extending Reality | CoExistence: Art, Science & Technology will change the way we perceive reality and its boundaries, presenting the intersection of the physical with the digital world, creating a hybrid space between physical and virtual reality. The program will include interactive installations, AR and VR projects, games, workshops, 360 performances, and screenings.

The Exhibition will host works by Greek and foreign artists. Among the artworks that will be presented, it will be the new interactive installation Black Hole by Yiannis Kranidiotis (GR), a light and sound sculpture inspired by the geometry of black holes. Moreover, Human Machine by Saint Machine (RO) will be presented for the first time in Greece at the Eugenides Foundation, looking at new patterns of technology-facilitated collaborative behaviors. Specifically for this event and venue, a VR project was created, Fabien Prioville's, dancer of Pina Bausch, (FR) Rendez- vous, co-produced by Tanzhaus NRW, redefining contemporary dance and traditional theater. Another artwork comes from Taiwan and Dr. Ya Lun Tao (TW)*, Time Panorama, a VR artwork based on the idea that the world is made up of illusions and is the panoramic projection of desires.

We invite you all to discover together the new realities that are unfolding before us.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Join us to celebrate with us a day of fun, while doing some holiday bargain shopping, sharing smiles and cat-stories with the family of Nine Lives Greece! Let’s say goodbye to 2019 by helping cats in need.

Discover small treasures amongst new and nearly-new goodies, and taste a delicious selection of home-baked cakes as well as scrumptious savories by the excellent La Chocolatiere caterers. Also, grab the chance to get your hands on the new 2020 Nine Lives calendars! A perfect Christmas gift for any cat lover. You will also find limited edition catnip Christmas toys as well as other seasonal goodies!

The final countdown to the Athens Classic Marathon "Athens Marathon, The Authentic" officially kicked last week with a press conference organized by the Hellenic Track & Field Federation (SEGAS).

According to SEGAS, this year's event has reached the record number of 60,000 participants in all races while last year, about 55,000 athletes from 105 countries and regions flooded the Attica area.

This year, the organizers, expect to welcome 20,000 marathon runners from all over the world at the original course of the 42.195 km from Marathon to Athens. Together with the 10km and 5km running events, a total of more than 60,000 athletes will run through the Attica region and Athens next Sunday, making the Athens Marathon one of the largest running events in the world.

Every marathon runner that crosses the finish line in the Panathenaic Stadium on November 10 will receive a medal depicting the Battle of Marathon. The classic marathon course begins near the tumulus of Marathon; it ends at the Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro)-the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896-right in the heart of Athens!

To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini
Photo Credit: Athens Authentic Marathon