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The Byzantine Bath of the Upper Town, on Theotokopoulou Street in Ano Poli, will be inaugurated in early July, 75 years after it was closed.

The 800-year-old facility has been fully restored in a project that took four years to complete and will be open not just to the public for visits but also to cultural associations and groups to stage events.

For the inauguration, the internationally acclaimed performance artist Ulay, who will be honored at the Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, will present his interactive performance “Code of Conduct” from July 1-4 (4-8 p.m.)

While the marble sinks and European-style baths that have been salvaged from among the facility’s early-20th century fittings are no longer in use, the site continues to offer valuable insight into the personal hygiene habits of all the different people who made use of it through the ages. The Byzantines, for example, bathed in still water, while the Ottoman preferred running water.

The bathhouse was built some time between the late 12th and early 13th century, at a time when the 11th-century tradition of bathhouses was seeing a revival. Known later as Koule Hamam, it operated all the way up until 1940. Despite numerous changes and renovations, as well as abandonment during World War II and the scars of a series of strong earthquakes in 1978, its Byzantine roots are still apparent in its layout and architectural elements.

It is the biggest and most intact Byzantine-era bathhouse among a handful that have survived in Greece and the only one in Thessaloniki, according to the supervisors of the restoration project, Fani Revythiadou, an architect and restorer, and Constantinos Raptis, an archaeologist at the Thessaloniki Ephorate of Antiquities.

While it survived collapse thanks to significant structural supports put in place by the former 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities and a shelter protecting its exterior, it did not escape the construction boom of the 1960s and is now sandwiched between apartment blocks.

It is, nevertheless, an excellent example of the art of restoration and an important part of any tour taking in the secular monuments of Byzantine-era Thessaloniki and the bathhouse tradition that flourished mainly in Ottoman times, stresses the head of the Ephorate, Stamatios Hondroyiannis.

Source: ekathimerini [July 04, 2015]

It is the country that gave us democracy, the Olympics, philosophy, medicine, mathematics and some ruddy good stories. Surely you can't put a price on that.

At least, that's what a group of eminent classicists, historians and authors believe.

In a letter to The Telegraph, the philhellenes urge our readers "to remember the very great cultural debt that we owe to Greece".

The letter has been signed by In Our Time presenter Melvyn Bragg, historian Michael Wood, Lastminute.com founder Martha Lane Fox, poet Professor Simon Armitage, novelist Victoria Hislop and a string of notable academics and writers.

"Whatever the precise nature of Greece’s economic future, it is profoundly to be hoped that the Greek people will receive robust support from its European allies, including those in the British Government."

Just think: where would we be if Achilles hadn't been shot in the heel or Odysseus hadn't made it home? If Archimedes hadn't been obsessed with circles? If Pythagoras hadn't preferred angles? If Theseus hadn't killed the minotaur or Icarus hadn't flown too close to the sun or Persephone hadn't made a deal with Hades or Helen hadn't launched a thousand ships?

What would our world be like if Socrates hadn't talked of knowledge, Plato hadn't written about love, and Aristotle hadn't thought about science and ethics and logic and God? If Phidias hadn't designed the Parthenon and Polykleitos hadn't defined male beauty and Praxiteles hadn't sculpted the female form? If Hippocrates hadn't revolutionised medicine? If Alexander hadn't been so great?

Surely such a rich cultural legacy is worth a measly €323bn.

Then again, perhaps we would have been better off if Pandora hadn't opened that box...

Read the full text of the letter here:

Dear Sir,

It is timely to remember the very great cultural debt that we owe to Greece, how valiantly many Greeks fought in WWII and how hard-working, frugal and family-minded the majority of Greeks have long been and continue to be. Whatever the precise nature of Greece’s economic future, it is profoundly to be hoped that the Greek people will receive robust support from its European allies, including those in the British Government.

Prof Angie Hobbs, Dr Bettany Hughes, Martha Lane Fox, Tom Holland, Victoria Hislop, Prof Simon Armitage, Prof Michael Wood, Prof Paul Cartledge, Melvyn Bragg, Prof Chris Pelling, Dr Armand D’Angour, Natalie Haynes, Charlotte Mendelson, Prof Edith Hall, Prof Armand Leroi, Dr Michael Scott

Thassian marble, considered in antiquity to be one of the purest marbles, is being used in the restoration which aims to reproduce the theatre's original appearance.

To this end, sections of the koilon (the auditorium), the parodoi (the side entrances between the skene and the audience) and the skene are being redressed in the famous marble.

The restoration is being financed by a private quarrying company.

Source: ANA-MPA [June 20, 2015]

The experienced auction house Sotheby’s did not let the opportunity go to waste and around a week ago they put six clay figurines on sale. The figurines depict the ancient Greek god Attis, the adolescent consort of Kybele, who was self-castrated to escape her jealousy. The terracotta dates back to the 2nd century BC and according to the auction house, it originated from Amphipolis.

“This cannot be confirmed,” noted Greek Alternate Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis, on the occasion of the repatriation of the illegally exported Hermes statue head, which was set for sale by Bohnams. The alternate minister’s statement was confirmed by an experienced archaeologist, who believes that the figurines are not characteristic of Amphipolis and therefore there is no reason for their connection with the region.

Experts might not find any connection to the Amphipolis tomb, however, the fact that Sotherby’s sold the six terracotta figurines for $8,750 shows that the public is still fascinated by the discovery of the ancient Greek monument.

Author: Ioanna Zikakou | Source: Greek Reporter [June 11, 2015]

Days earlier, strangers had also desecrated the “prison” found on the southwest of the Acropolis, where Greek philosopher Socrates, credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, was sent to be punished after found guilty of impiety and corrupting the morals of Athens’ youth.

Greek Culture Ministry maintenance staff rushed immediately and, after a lot of effort, managed to remove the graffiti.

The acts of vandalism took place after the Greek Council of State gave the green light for a free 24-hour access to those wishing to visit various archaeological sites.

The monument guards fear that if the sites remain open 24/7, they will soon host several other acts of vandalism due to staff shortage.

Author: Katerina Papathanasiou | Source: Greek Reporter [June 03, 2015]

The tourist, aged 60, was walking past the ill-fated pithos when she tripped, grabbing onto the Minoan treasure as she fell.

The museum guards did not know who to attend to first – the priceless artefact or the tourist.

The tourist was rushed to hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

As for the pithos, archaeologists are now trying to piece it back together… But will it ever be the same?

Source: Greek Ministry of Culture [May 27, 2015]

The 30cm-high bronze statuette is of a young man in worship, his hands folded across his chest, making it a unique find of its type throughout the island of Crete.

The figure has long hair, a gold-plated belt and remains of gold leaf on its calves and left knee.

At the base is a peg indicating that it was probably set on a pedestal in an area of worship. Archaeologists at the Lasithi Antiquities Ephorate have dated the statuette to the 16-15 century B.C.

The case was cracked as a result of a coordinated Hellenic Police (ELAS) operation that culminated in the arrests of four men, two aged 35 and two aged 41 years old.

Dear All,

The recent snub by the British government to UNESCO's offer to mediate in the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures dispute and the arrogant wording directed at the Greek government's often repeated offer to negotiate the matter by discussion confirmed our position that Britain never had the intention to enter into good faith discussions. As we had said in recent fora,  the only road we saw to possible success was one of legal action, with a direct and dynamic confrontation with Whitehall.

The recent response by Britain dissolved any illusions we had regarding the powers in the UK to be brought to do the right thing,  and to right a historical wrong.  We too had hoped that Britain would succumb to worldwide public opinion to correct an outrage,  the stripping and vandalising of the Parthenon of 60% of its famous millenia-old  Sculptures ,  a crime committed when Greeks were under occupation and unable to defend their archaeological heritage and national symbols of identity.

The latest declaration by the new minister of culture in the UK continues with the hard line of his predeccesors, namely that "The marbles were legally acquired according to the laws of the time. " So Mr Minister were 3 million African slaves, captured,  transported and sold,  "according to the laws of the time." Opium too was purchased and sold, in tons "according to the laws of the time". Those who did not agree to buy your opium had two wars declared on them,  and so China paid with the loss of Hong Kong and a treaty to buy your Indian grown opium.  This, Mr Minister, is NOT that time.  We are disputing your CURRENT possession of symbols of our heritage, removed from Athens and held by you in a totally government financed and controlled museum institution (all the board is appointed directly, or indirectly by the UK government or by the Queen).

This,  though,  is not the issue.

One more British government acting like  an infant  petulantly hugging another child's toy,  saying "It is mine, mine!"  is understandable,  because there is no home-made item that can compare in beauty,  artisanry,  historic or other value to those created  by a superior ancient civilisation.  We may understand the feeling,  and commiserate,  but that does not justify the possession of the looted Greek scultures taken from the Parthenon.  There is no justification for it.  We sympathise with the situation the British Museum is in,  but our sympathy doesn't extend to giving up iconic and defitive items of our heritage,  nor did our illustrious and talented predecessors in Ancient Athens build the Parthenon to have its facade torn off and damaged  by a British ambassador to decorate his Scottish residence. The Parthenon was built by Pericles and the Greek city states to commemorate the victory of Greek civilisation against the very type of barbarity  and lack of respect that Elgin indulged in 2300 years later.

The British position is well known and is in keeping with how official Britain has acted in the last few centuries.  To win in a contest the basic rule MUST be to understand your opponent and create your game strategy around this knowledge.

Anyone who has studied British history and politics will know that Britain NEVER,  but NEVER,  gives anything back unless forced to do so.  India, Cyprus,  as well as dozens of colonies of the Empire,  and other possessions acquired without the consent of the people, often with great bloodshed caused by British troops were only given back by Britain after a bitterly contested conflict,  on the field of battle,  in courts,  or with a series of extended non-violent political actions by those who had lost their heritage,  freedoms,  or historical archaeological treasures.  Britain today in its museums and in the Tower of London still holds numerous purloined and pillaged items as well as those taken by reason of  military superiority from a vanquished foe defending himself on his own soil.  The Kohinoor Diamond in the so called Crown Jewels  taken from a defeated 15 year old prince in India, is but one example. Manifest Destiny demanded it.  We oppose this way of thinking.

This lengthy introduction,  and I will apologise,  was to emphasise my conviction that dialogue for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, after so many valiant and polite efforts by Greece,  and its overseas friends in all walks of life,  is not a viable option,  and only  incurable romantics or people without an understanding of the official British character and its limitations can insist that this dead end is the road to the Restitution in Athens.

The problem is not the obduracy and intransigence of British officialdom.  It is a given, and we have to act  with that in mind.  It is with the very knowledge of the historic failure of Greek diplomacy,  both cultural and political,  and that of our own self-financed voluntary Parthenon organisations, to bring about the return, that it was encouraging when the Greek government,  that for 40 years has not asked Britain officially for the Sculptures return,  not long ago decided to involve an experienced and prestigious British legal firm Doughty Street Chambers led by George Robertson QC,  to represent our interests and to write a report regarding  what options were open for Greece to act.

Overall public awareness of the issue and additional sympathy for the Greek case was given very welcome boosts,  human nature being what it is,  by declarations of public support by celebrities such as George Clooney,  Matt Damon and others,  while a visit to Greece by Mrs Clooney with her senior colleagues at the UK law office created a media frenzy and a heightening of public interest in the Parthenon issue.  The Doughty Chambers law group produced a 140 page confidential report for the Greek government describing,  as leaked to the press,  5 options.  The one considered to have the highest chance of success was,  and this is no surprise to us,  for Greece to go immediately to the  European Court of Human Rights where,  according to the report,  there was  the greatest chance of a Greek legal victory.  The lawyers were specific: it is  now or never,  if the opportunity is  not to be lost with issues such as statutes of limitations in the near future killing Greek chances of recovery of the items through international court decisions.

In Greece,  as we all know there is a new government,  and the report was delivered to them.  With the understanding of the British penchant for intransigence,  fortified by the recent snub to UNESCO, and the history of failed attempts,  the new minister had a detailed road map in his hands,  to move forward,  with of course the support of millions around the world and at home.  Expecting his decision to do this,  using the British law firm and their international expertise and experience in cross border cultural issues we were stunned to hear the announcement of Under Minister Mr Nickos Xidakis,  a former journalist,  who announced,  in more words than these,  that " We will not go against Britain in court... This is a matter to be settled politically and diplomatically...this issue will be settled, bit by bit over, time..."

Looking at what the minister said let us examine the  viability of his declared course of action over that which the British lawyers and we ourselves at IPSACI believe,  and we all want the same thing ,  the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

A) Mr Xidakis rejects the expert opinion of the British legal experts.  Claiming we may lose in court.  But for 200 years we have lost! We can only win,  or if we lose here, we can initiate a new legal action in another court.

B) Mr Xidakis says the issue can be won diplomatically.  The question is,  after 200 years of failed  diplomatic initiatives, is the government of Mr Xidakis in such a powerful international position to impose a solution using diplomacy? Does he know of Greek diplomats who can force Mr Cameron to sign a new law allowing/directing the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures?

C) Mr Xidakis told the press that the issue should be dealt with "politically" .  This is indeed one way countries settle disputes.  The assumption by lay persons like myself,  on hearing the Minister,  is that Greece at this moment has the political clout to bring the British Museum to its knees and to force Mr Cameron to sign the document of repatriation of the Sculptures to Athens. With all our goodwill towards Mr Xidakis, where does he draw this feeling of current Greek political power and superiority over Britain from?

D) Finally the minister says that this issue is being slowly resolved, "little by little".

But it has already been 200 years from the stripping of the friezes and metopes and Britain has not moved one centimetre in the direction Greece demands!

If the minister does not tell us why he feels his/our  government has the diplomatic and political power to solve the issue,  I very much fear that his position looks like a hot potato shifting of the issue to a future government because of  reluctance to take the bull by the horns,  as recommended by the UK lawyers, and get into court with his British counterpart.(Apologies for the mixed metaphors!)

I have a great fear that we are about to lose the Parthenon Sculptures for ever, and that the work of all our organisations, ministries,  diplomatic missions,  our volunteer supporters, and decades of dedicated work by people such as yourselves around the world, and in Greek and international  organisations are about to be lost down the drain.

I therefore beg those who believe that we must recommend to Minister Xidakis and his staff to listen to the recommendations of people and experts who know the issues well,  and understand the mindset of those walking the halls of Russell Square and Westmister,  to express their concern to the authorities in Greece.

Thank you for your patience in reading this long analysis of where I believe  we are today,  in view of the recent, and disturbing developments.

Best to all,
Alexis Mantheakis
Chairman of the International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee Inc.
Athens office.
www.ipsaci.com
+(30)22990 47566

The surprise announcement came only 48 hours after Amal Clooney and the team at London’s Doughty Street Chambers sent the Greek government a 150-page report admitting that there was only a 15% chance of their success in a British court, and that Greece should consider pursuing the claim at the International Court of Justice. However, quite understandably, the Greek government has decided that what Clooney is really saying is that they have no case.

The Syriza government is keenly aware that British courts are recognized the world over for their experience in resolving international disputes, including those involving British interests and institutions. So, quite reasonably, the new Greek government has concluded that an international court will probably not reach a different conclusion. Nikos Xydakis, culture minister, has therefore announced that Greece will drop its legal claim and pursue “diplomatic and political” avenues instead.

This is unsurprising, as — contrary to the widespread misconception — there was nothing illegal about the way in which Lord Elgin saved the Parthenon Sculptures from acute ongoing destruction. The mauling had started when the Greek church smashed up a large number of the ancient temple’s carvings in the fifth century. The Venetians then blew up chunks of the building in 1687. And in the 1800s, when Lord Elgin arrived in Athens, the occupying Ottomans were grinding the sculptures up for limestone and using them for artillery target practice.

Elgin had intended to commission casts and paintings of the sculptures, but when he saw firsthand the ongoing damage (about 40% of the original sculptures had been pulverised), he acquired an export permit from the Ottoman authorities in Athens, and brought as many as he could back to safety in Britain. It was a personal disaster which bankrupted him, but it has meant that, since 1816, the British Museum has been able to share with its visitors some of the best-preserved Parthenon Sculptures in the world.

What is usually missing in the emotion of the Elgin Marbles debate is that the British Museum is a universal museum, which tells the story of humanity’s cultural achievements from the dawn of time. In this, the work of the Ancient Greek department is world leading, and part of a network of museum classicists — including those from the New Acropolis Museum in Athens — who work together collaboratively, sharing their knowledge and passion for the classical world with the widest possible public.

Coincidentally, the British Museum (the nation’s largest tourist attraction) is currently hosting a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of Greek sculpture, drawing on its own collection and generous loans from other museums all over the world to showcase the evolution of ancient Greek ideas about beauty and the human body. In this breathtaking visual story of the march of classical ideas about aesthetics, the Parthenon Sculptures take their place, contributing eloquently to the state of sculpture in the golden age of Athenian carving under Pheidias.

The overarching misconception we need to get over is that museum objects belong uniquely to the country in which they were created. If that was so, the world should empty out its leading museums of the foreign artefacts they have purchased or been donated. Athens would be no exception in this, and would be required to return their extensive collections of Egyptian, Chinese, Islamic, and South American art.

Of course, it is an absurd idea. The world is manifestly enhanced by museums and their depth of specialised knowledge. They are, above all, educational places that enrich us all. The fact that half the surviving sculptures from the Parthenon can be seen in Athens, with the remaining half split between London, Berlin, Munich, Würzburg, Copenhagen, the Vatican, and — thanks to the British Museum — the Hermitage in St Petersburg earlier this year, ensures that the widest possible audience is able to experience for themselves the unique and bewitching ability of fifth-century Athenians to convert rough stone into warm, living flesh.

Another page has turned definitively in the story of the Parthenon Sculptures. The idea that Lord Elgin or Parliament did something illegal has finally been dropped, and not before time. Now the debate can proceed in a less antagonistic manner, and everyone can acknowledge that it is a question of politics, not looted artefacts.

As the world has recently discovered from the tragic destruction of Assyrian art at Nimrud, Mosul, and elsewhere in the Middle East, the planet’s heritage does not last unless someone looks after it. And so far, in the case of the Parthenon Sculptures (and indeed its holdings of Assyrian sculpture), the British Museum continues to do the world an enormous service

Author: Dominic Selwood | Source: The Telegraph [May 14, 2015]

“On the one hand, you can’t file a suit over any issue, and, on the other, the outcome in international courts is never certain,” Xydakis said.

“The way to winning back the Marbles is diplomatic and political,” he said in response to a report by the British firm of cultural heritage lawyers Norman Palmer and Geoffrey Robertson, urging Greece to take swift legal recourse.

Source: Kathimerini [May 13, 2015]

The impressive column originally depicted three serpents tightly coiled running the whole length, with the heads supporting a gold tripod and bowl. These were later melted down by the Phocaeans to cover war costs.

The names of the city states that participated in the battle were carved along the coils but these have since been eroded and are no longer visible. According to Herodotus the offering was made from Persian spoils of war.

In the 4th century AD, the column was transferred to Constantinople by Constantine the Great. It was displayed in the middle of the Hippodrome where it still stands.

Two of the three heads were broken off in the 16th century and lost. The third is in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

The copy is being made using a plaster cast kept at the Delphi Museum since 1980. The cast preserves the names of the city states that are no longer visible on the original.

Source: Protothema [May 06, 2015]

The Amphipolis tomb discovery was one of the ten most important findings in the world in 2014. Now, the burial monument is at risk of being buried again, but this time to the knowledge of archaeologists.

The major archaeological discovery in northern Greece cannot be opened for visitors at the moment as heavy rains have created stagnant ponds and forced mounts of dirt to cover most of the site. When water dries, the ground will be even more unstable. Water needs to be drained and a drainage system must be put in place.

“The surrounding wall with wonderful marbles from Thasos needs drainage works urgently,” Xydakis said. Drainage works must be completed before autumn, when bad weather starts again.

An emergency meeting took place between the excavation crew and culture ministry officials. A new geostationary study needs to be conducted in order to decide what precautionary measures to take to save the site.

However, financial reasons do not allow the study to be done. And the geostationary study is essential before further, specific studies of stones, mortars, support methods and so on. Restoration of the monument at the moment is very difficult due to lack of funds for all the studies needed.

Certain restoration procedures have taken place already, but further restoration studies and works need the approval of the Central Archaeological Council, other than the necessary funding.

Author: A. Makris | Source: The Greek Reporter [May 04, 2015]

In an announcement issued on Sunday, the ministry reported damage in three of the 42 rooms uncovered by the official archaeological excavation. It said the illegal diggers had gone through the floor and destroyed a section of the southern wall of one room, that the base of a pillar found on the site had been moved and broken, while in rooms 35 and 26 there were signs of disturbance and illegal digging.

The ministry's deputy general secretary Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki paid a visit to the site on Saturday and a decision was made with the head of the antiquities ephorate and the head of the dig to begin work to restore the damage immediately.

Source: ANA-MPA [March 03, 2015]

In an announcement earlier on Wednesday, Greece's culture ministry said that it had asked Christie's to withdraw the item from auction, saying there was firm evidence that it had been illegally exported from Greece. In its reply, Christie's said that the Greek information was given "serious consideration" but insisted that its own investigation showed that the auction would continue as planned under British law.

The carved marble stele is dated circa 350-325 B.C. and bears the inscription 'Dorias [daughter of] Poseidonios'. According to the lot description it was found in Halkida on the island of Evia and recorded in the travel notes of Eduard Schaubert in 1844. The auction house claims the stele was from a private collection in France acquired prior to 1994. It's value is estimated between 28,000-40,000 euros.

Greek authorities argue that there is proof that the stele was recorded in Greek territory after the country's liberation from Ottoman rule and, therefore, its export was illegal.

Source: News Bomb [April 15, 2015]