Backed by European Union funding, restoration work on the western side of the Parthenon has been completed for the first time in around 220 years.
The project was officially unveiled on Thursday, with two new marble blocks installed in long-empty gaps high on the temple’s western end — the first view seen by visitors entering the ancient site in Athens.
The 2,500-year-old monument, which overlooks the Greek capital, drew about 4.6 million visitors last year.
The latest work forms part of a long-running restoration program aimed at repairing damage caused by war, weathering and past looting. The EU funded restoration program began in 1975.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni described the restored western face of the Parthenon as “truly stunning.”
She said the addition of the two marble blocks does more than fill missing sections. “They allow the unique proportions and the geometric perfection of the Parthenon’s western face to be seen once again,” she said.
Source: AP News
