MACEDONIA

The Parthenon on the Acropolis, where archaeologists work in conditions that would be considered intolerable in any other EU capital. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

Greece's ancient treasures fall victim to ¬300bn debt crisis

It was the world's first university, where Plato taught, Aristotle studied and philosophy was born. But today as buses hurtle down the boulevard that bisects the park, past grey highrises, it is hard to believe this is one of the Greek capital's ancient treasures; Plato's Academy is so overlooked it is not even signposted.

"We haven't managed to save the ¬7,000 [£4,500] such a sign would require," says Nikoletta Divari Vilakou, the archaeologist in charge. "And that's because of the economic problems."

The crisis that has gripped Greece, rocked markets and rattled Europe's single currency is now enveloping the country's cultural heritage. The seat of learning, founded on property the philosopher inherited in 387BC, is not alone. This year, antiquities beneath the Acropolis stood under tangled weeds, testimony to the overstretched culture ministry's inability to clean and prune.

Nationwide, some of Greece's greatest glories - museums, castles and antiquities - have been closed to the public, from Kastellorizo in the east to Pella, Alexander's birthplace, in the north. Like the desolate tourist shops alongside them, the ancient sites are devoid of holidaymakers, symbolic of the recession engulfing the nation.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/26/greece-acropolis-debt-crisis-athens