‘No time to waste’: Greece bids for Mount Olympus to be included on Unesco list of world heritage sites | Greece

M.More than forty years have passed since Evangelos Geroliolios made his first appearance in the house of the ancient gods. At the summit of Mount Olympus, the rocky summit of Greece’s highest mountain, he felt pure awe.

“I have never forgotten that unique moment, that unique feeling on the throne of Zeus,” recalls Geroliolios, who spent much of his time as mayor of Dion-Olympus managing the area around the site.

Its steep peak, described by Homer as the “seat of the immortals” and where Zeus, the father of the gods, is said to have housed the palace, rises 2,918 meters above the sea.

“You get this incredible sense of place fused with myth, beauty and the weight of history, all of which we want to share and hope it becomes known internationally,” he said.

Greek officials have long lobbied for Mount Olympus to be included in Unesco’s world heritage list; Soon advocates of the cause will find out whether the site will finally receive the coveted title.

The World Heritage Committee is scheduled to begin discussing the nomination at its 48th meeting on Sunday.^This The session is currently underway in Busan, South Korea. The annual meeting will end on July 29.

Greece first proposed in 2014 that the mountain be included in the list of places considered by Unesco to be of “outstanding value for humanity”, citing both its cultural and environmental importance.

The area was declared Greece’s first national forest in 1938, as a tribute to the uniqueness of the land covered not only with lush forests but also with mountainous areas, gorges, valleys and springs, all close to the sea.

The closest town to the mountain, Litochoro, is located almost three miles (5 km) from the breathtaking beaches at the foot of the mountain.

Due to the abundance of flora and fauna, Unesco designated Olympus as a biosphere reserve in 1981. When the mountain was declared a national park in 2021, greater environmental protection was provided in the form of a presidential decree.

“But,” says Geroliolios, “becoming a world heritage site will not just be important for the Greeks. It will appeal to the whole planet. Olympus is up there with the Parthenon, and it is vital that we preserve this setting of myth and history. For us, conservation is the alpha and omega.”

Last year the committee added 26 new properties to Unesco’s World Heritage list, bringing the total number of sites to 1,428 in 170 countries. Only two of the 21 sites in Greece have been recognized as mixed cultural and natural world heritage sites.

Under an international agreement overseen by Unesco, treasures including landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids and the Taj Mahal automatically become protected areas.

This designation is increasingly seen as a bulwark against the ravages of development and overtourism. Like much of Greece, the mountain’s popularity has grown rapidly over the last decade, with around 500,000 visitors recorded last year.

That number is widely predicted to increase with the resurgence of interest in the ancient world following the July 17 release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Inspired by Homer’s epic, the record-breaking blockbuster was partially shot in Greece, which helped support the film financially.

“We are happy that tourists are coming, but more will mean more risk,” said Dimitris Pappas, deputy director of the Olympus national park management agency.

“There is no doubt that if the area is declared a Unesco world heritage site, it will contribute to the preservation of the mountain. If we lose what we have, it would be a disaster.”

Pappas said by far the biggest threat to the region is wildfires, made worse by climate disruption.

“These fires could be prevented with extra funding to improve fire protection measures, including clearing footpaths and building shelters. River bridges and roads could also be improved.”

World heritage sites are provided with technical support and financial assistance from Unesco, which also provides expert advice to help preserve the monuments.

Tourists who visited the area this week said the designation was not only deserved but long overdue. “This is not only a good idea, but the best idea,” said Lenka Hotmarova, 62, from the Czech Republic. “There are areas for improvement on the roads and this will help raise awareness of the need for protection. This should have happened sooner.”

In its candidacy file, Greece also emphasized the religious significance of the mountain, citing an open-air shelter discovered on one of the mountain’s lowest peaks.

It is thought that the sanctuary was described by the philosopher historian Plutarch in the 2nd century AD in connection with animal sacrifices to Zeus.

It is thought to host the highest altitude chapel in the Christian Orthodox world, with Byzantine monasteries and other places of worship built on the folds and peaks of Mount Olympus.

The outcome of the tender is still far from certain. Advisory bodies from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature reportedly recommended further details on the draft agenda of the Unesco meeting in Busan, suggesting that the nomination would be sent back to Greece, and the search was further extended.

At a time when tourism is rapidly increasing, this worries Geroliolios. “It’s all about balance,” he says. “Olympus’ carrying capacity has reached its limit.”

Stating that being designated as a world heritage site “will put more responsibility on us to protect the environment”, he added: “However, even if we are not successful, there is no time to waste. More protective measures need to be taken.”