The new shop for the archaeological site of Acropolis was inaugurated on Sunday by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and accompanied by acclaimed Greek group 'Encardia' playing Greek-language songs from southern Italy.

The new shop was set up by the Organization of Managing and Developing Cultural Resources (ODAP).

On the same day, also turned over to the public was a section in the south of the Areopagus hill plateau, and the pine slope on the northwestern part of the plateau, the latter of which is opening to the public for the first time. Another first is the opening of a large section of the path on the northern slope of the Acropolis, which leads to key monuments such as the Klepsydra (natural spring), the sacred caves, the end of the Panathenaic Way, and the sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros.

Commenting on the openings, Mendoni told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA): "Today is a joyful day. It is officially the first day of the Greek summer and opens with a celebration: the turning over of the new shop in order to meet the needs of visitors, but mainly with the turning over of this excellent walkway on the northern slope that remained shut for years - one may at last enjoy a clear walk and see the entire city below, as well as very interesting monuments. Also turned over to the public is the landscaped space in front of Areopagus, as well as the slope that fundamentally links the Areopagus with Apostolou Pavlou street. It is very important to turn over public space to the city and the thousndas of visitors to the Acropolis."

Head of the Ephorate for the City of Athens Antiquities Elena Kountouri told ANA-MPA that the walkway around the north slope had been shut down since the coronavirus pandemic. "The main goal is to link the archaeological site of the Acropolis with one of the entrances here on the north slope and to be able to reenter the ancient site of the Agora," she said, while noting that there is now provision with the changes for cars for the disabled, and if needed a fire truck.

(Photo courtesy of Ministry of Culture)