(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, 17 LUG - Greece's most visited tourist
attraction, the Athens Acropolis, is to close during the hottest
hours of Wednesday, authorities said as a heatwave scorches the
country. Tourists won't be unable to visit the Parthenon and
other ancient masterpieces atop the UNESCO-listed archaeological
site between noon and 5:00 pm local time (0900-1400 GMT), the
culture ministry said. The limited closure -- which is the
second announced in just over a month -- comes as Greece's
national weather service predicted temperatures above 43 degrees
Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country.
Greece's earliest-ever heatwave forced the Acropolis to close
for the hottest hours of the day for two days in a row in June.
A record number of almost four million visitors flocked to the
Acropolis in 2023, its popularity boosted in part due to
tourists arriving on cruise ships calling in at the nearby port
of Piraeus. (ANSA-AFP).
Athens Acropolis shut part of day due to heat
Greece's weather service predicted temperatures above 43 degrees