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Tourist Sparks Outrage by Desecrating Ancient Greek Landmark

Greeks were furious after a tourist lifted an ancient marble slab while posing for a picture.

A tourist sparked fury in Greece after photos showed him lifting an ancient marble fragment to pose for a photo at the historic Portara temple on the island of Naxos. The images, widely shared online, depict the man holding a sizable piece of white marble above his head, seemingly taken from the 2,500-year-old archaeological site. The Portara, a massive marble gate, is the last remnant of an unfinished temple dedicated to Apollo, built in 530 BC. The site, part of the sanctuary of Apollo Delius, is free to enter and lacks formal security, leaving its preservation to visitors’ discretion. “They are not stones! They are our history,” a furious local wrote online, with another person adding, “They are not lifeless stones, but the soul and history of Greece.” Further outrage was stoked after photos appeared to show a family setting up a makeshift bar at the temple, serving skewers and soft drinks at the ancient cultural site. Naxos Mayor Dimitris Lianos confirmed that the country’s Culture Ministry had been alerted to the incident, and a temporary guard was placed at the site in order to prevent further disruption.