Scaffolding on the Parthenon??

Yep...like lots of other antiquities in Europe, the Parthenon has been dressed in scaffolding for some time now and will be for the forseeable future.

There has been scaffolding around the Parthenon for so long I'm beginning to think it was left there by the Ancient Greeks! The restoration project is ongoing and will certainly last for 100 years (no joke) at the present rate of progress.

Well, at least we have a great picture of us standing in front of the Parthenon from many years ago! That year the Erectheion (sp?) had scaffolding around it.

I thought there was scaffolding on it when we saw it for the first 15 years ago. It was still there last year but in a different location.

In all fairness it'll be forever before the scaffolding is down. First, it's a very complex reconstruction puzzle, second, well has anyone compared the Greek antiquities department to well, say less or more favorably to I don't know, my 90 year old mother and a physics problem.

Yep, the Parthenon has not been the same since the Venetians bombarded it (in 1687). If you want to see a full scale replica of what it looked like a couple thousand years ago, without the scaffolding, and way before the Venetian mortar attack, go to Nashville, TN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon_(Nashville)the Nashville one comes complete with the statue of Athena Parthenos.

But, Kent, being in Nashville is not nearly as wonderful as being in Greece! That's like comparing the copy of Michelangelo's David at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to the original in Florence. :)

What?!! Janis, you mean to tell me the one in Vegas isn't the original?! Now I guess I'm gonna hafta go to Florence. Why don't they tell me these things?

Next thing you're gonna tell me the Venetian in LV is not a better substitute for the crowded and difficult city on the north east coast of Italy...sheesh, have you been there...almost all of their signs are in Italian!

I am so sure that the Parthenon was under restoration and scaffolding in 1977! When I was traveling in Europe in the 70's there was scaffolding everywhere! Many cities were still recovering from WW II. At least today, the restoration is usually not to fix bombing from the 20th century and is the result of other issues with construction practices of the past. Pam

I guess I will point out that even though there is a good amount of scaffolding around, the two times there (2002 and 2005), I do not recall that the entire structure was covered and unable to be seen. Would have to go back and look at pictures, but it is well worth the time to visit.