A total of 13 million euros has been benchmarked for the protection and promotion of important antiquities listed by UNESCO under the EU’s National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).
Two Greek World Heritage Sites that stand to benefit from the funding are the site of Delos island and the Byzantine church of Daphne that will be provided with Phase 2 funding from the NSRF for 2014-2020, according to the Greek Finance Ministry.
Delos will be granted 4.5 million euros from public funds to restore antiquities and the museum complex. Upgrades include visitor walkways for the site that has been inhabited since 2,500 BC. Information brochures will also be created as part of initiatives to make the site known to the public.
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The 11th-century Byzantine church at Daphne, northwest of Athens, will receive 1.2 million euros so that later additions can be stripped and the surrounding area be restored. Information brochures will also be created as well as a one-day conference to promote the site.
The Greek Finance Ministry’s announcement states that monuments listed by the UN’s cultural organisation “play an emblematic role in the value of Greek tourism because of their global recognition”. Surrounding areas also benefit from the exposure they receive.