Acropolis closes at hottest hours amid Greece heatwave

ATHENS: The Athens Acropolis, Greece´s top tourist attraction, closed during the hottest hours on Friday as the country wilts under a heatwave.

Access to the Unesco-listed archaeological site dating to antiquity is being suspended between midday and 5:00 pm (0900 GMT and 1400 GMT) before reopening “to protect workers and visitors”, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni told public broadcaster ERT. “It´s highly likely that we will take the same measure tomorrow (Saturday),” she said.

Temperatures were expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Athens on Friday and Saturday, but at the summit of the Acropolis it feels hotter, she added.

Other popular tourist sites surrounding the Sacred Rock on which the Acropolis stands, such as the Ancient Agora, will remain open.

The Acropolis, which has seen a major rise in visitor numbers in recent months, is normally open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm every day.

Some tourists were left disappointed in front of the site´s closed entrance, saying the official website had not provided enough information.

“I am not feeling really comfortable about it, but what can we do?” said Serbian human resources director Sonya Ivkovic, who planned to return for the reopening at 5:00 pm. —AFP