Hadrian’s Arch marred by image of abandonment
The bland surroundings of the 2nd century Hadrian’s Arch in central Athens are not doing any justice to the monumental ancient gateway. A case in point is the rickety benches filled with slogans near the monument, next to which thousands of tourists are photographed every day. Shabby urban furnishings are just one symptom of the poor infrastructure that anyone walking around the capital’s main attractions encounters. The gateway spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city including the Temple of Olympian Zeus. [Nikos Kokkalias]
