Cultural Heritage: A treasure to be cherished and preserved
Greece is home to a wealth of cultural resources both tangible and intangible which are protected and promoted. The country has introduced appropriate legal instruments in accordance with various international regulations and conventions. However, the management of our built cultural heritage does not stop there. Nowadays, it incorporates spatial planning, combats illicit trade of antiquities, unifies sites, engages local societies and ensures the conditions required for its rational use and promotion. Four Greek cities have been designated as European Capitals of Culture (Athens - 1985, Thessaloniki - 1997, Patras - 2006, and Elefsina -2023), with Athens being the inaugural European Capital of Culture.
Monuments & Sites
There is a wide geographical distribution of monuments (prehistoric, classical, Byzantine, modern) from all time periods spanning the entire Greek territory but special attention deserves to be given to Central Macedonia (Thessaloniki area), Eastern Central Greece (Attica, Viotia, Evia), Southern Aegean (Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete), and Peloponnese.
An international campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles has been underway, with the vision to bring them back from the British Museum and reunite them with the exhibits at the modern Acropolis Museum.
World cultural heritage monuments in Greece
A large number of the designated monuments of all periods are also included in the World Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO. The Acropolis of Athens, the archaeological sites of Olympia, Delphi and Vergina, as well as a selection of medieval and modern manifestations of culture top the list. However, since cultural heritage extends beyond monuments and collections of objects, to include elements such as traditions or rituals, passed down from generation to generation, intangible cultural heritage, such as the Mediterranean diet, has also received a UNESCO cultural heritage status.
