Feature: Greek archaeologists offer underwater guided tour at antiquities off Aegina island

    Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-15 20:35:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun
    Video PlayerClose

    by Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou

    AEGINA, Greece, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Greek archaeologists Sunday offered a rare underwater guided tour at the antiquities lying under sea off Aegina island as part of nationwide celebrations of the European Heritage Days.

    Over the past three decades, each September numerous monuments and sites across the EU are open to Europe's citizens for free to allow them to learn about their shared cultural heritage. Due to adverse weather conditions in Greece, the celebration was rescheduled this year for mid-October.

    An hour away south of Piraeus port on Aegina island, archaeologists of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities welcomed Greeks and foreigners at Kolona bay to the secrets of the island's ancient fortified military "hidden port", which has been underwater by the rise of the sea level since antiquity.

    During the Archaic period (800-480 B.C.), Aegina flourished as a great naval power competing with Athens, Despina Koutsoumba, archaeologist of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, told participants including Xinhua in the tour.

    It was the city's "golden era" and it was around 500-490 B.C. when the islanders constructed the main installations of the ancient harbor.

    "In this part of Aegina there is a very important ancient military port dating back to the Archaic period," said Koutsoumba.

    She added many well-preserved remains, including the harbor's walls, tower and sheds to dock warships, today lie underwater.

    According to the archaeologist, excavations of the ancient walled military port started in the 1960s. One of the main goals of the new survey program which started this year is to present the site in such a manner that visitors can get information about the ancient harbor and swim among the ruins without the presence of an expert, she further explained.

    "People love seeing underwater antiquities. In particular these harbor installations which are in shallow waters are ideal for such tours. I think people enjoyed it," Koutsoumba told Xinhua.

    People who plunged into the waters on Sunday for the guided tour expressed their enthusiasm.

    "It was great, such a different guided tour. Usually they hold them on shore. It was so moving see the ruins from a different point of view once... The port was huge, I had never given this much thought in the past, it was very interesting seeing something else," Vivian A. told Xinhua. She participated in the snorkeling tour with her friend and host on Aegina island, Maro Evangelidou.

    "The Ephorate's initiative to give this tour was great. It was a marvelous experience. This is a significant part of our history. Funds are needed for future excavation works and I think that international cooperation would help," Evangelidou told Xinhua.

    Achilleas Leousis lives on Aegina, but never before had he seen the ruins.

    "It was such a nice experience, unprecedented for us. Although we are from Aegina, we had not seen them so far and we were given this chance now to get to know them, next year it will be even better...Now we, locals, will form a group and start showing them to visitors," he said.

    Some 2 million visitors reach Aegina each year. The aim of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, the local government and community is to make the site of the ancient "hidden port" reachable to the general public and comprehensible.?

    TOP STORIES
    EDITOR’S CHOICE
    MOST VIEWED
    EXPLORE XINHUANET
    010020070750000000000000011100001375344231
    主站蜘蛛池模板: 搡女人真爽免费影院| 男人日女人动态视频| 国产精品香蕉在线一区| 中文字幕无码精品亚洲资源网 | 久久久精品人妻一区二区三区四| 毛片在线播放网址| 双性h啪啪樱桃动漫直接观看| 日本三级韩国三级美三级91| 大乳丰满人妻中文字幕日本| 主人啊灬啊别停灬用力啊视频| 欧洲高清一区二区三区试看| 亚洲黄在线观看| 美国艳星janacova| 国产性生大片免费观看性| 91香蕉国产线观看免| 巨胸狂喷奶水视频www网站免费| 久久精品国产免费观看三人同眠 | 国产在线一91区免费国产91| 88国产精品视频一区二区三区| 小箩莉奶水四溅小说| 久久久国产乱子伦精品| 欧美人与牲动交a欧美精品| 伊人色综合久久| 羞羞答答www网址进入在线观看 | 久久婷婷五月综合97色一本一本| 欧美日韩福利视频| 免费jizz在线播放视频高清版| 色婷婷五月综合丁香中文字幕| 国产欧美精品一区二区色综合| 97国产在线视频公开免费| 小少呦萝粉国产| 久久久久久AV无码免费网站下载| 极度另类极品另类| 亚洲欧洲日产国码无码久久99| 男人边吃奶边爱边做视频国产| 四虎www成人影院| 青青操免费在线视频| 国产激情电影综合在线看| 4ayy私人影院| 天天干天天干天天干天天干| 中国嫩模一级毛片|