Study approved for Acropolis’ wheelchair lift
Greece's Central Archaeological Council (KAS), the government’s top advisory body on the protection of antiquities, approved on Wednesday a study for the installation of a lift for disabled persons at the Acropolis Hill.
The new inclined elevator will replace the platform lift installed at the side of the hill in 2004.
The Culture Ministry said the elevator will start at the level of the ancient promenade, on the north slope of the Acropolis, and will transport visitors directly to the top of the hill.
After the green light from KAS, the contractor is expected to deliver the elevator in full operation in four months, the ministry said in a press release.
“The clock is already ticking,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said after KAS' decision was announced.
The project is financed by the Onassis Foundation.
Installed in 2004 as part of an effort to make Athens more accessible during the Olympics and Paralympics, the current cage-like elevator had become increasingly prone to mechanical failures.
The 2,500-year-old Parthenon atop the Acropolis hill, is one of the world's most visited sites.
