Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture informed that it won the legal dispute it had with the Association of Greek Archaeologists for a property on Ermou Street and achieved the validation of the revocation of its concession.

As the Ministry informed on Tuesday, “the full text of the 761/2024 decision of the Council of State was transmitted, which validated the revocation of the concession – on behalf of the YPPO – to the Association of Greek Archaeologists (SEA), of the Ermou property 134-136, which has been characterized as a “work of art” and is a proclaimed newer monument”.

The said building in Thisio housed the SEA.

According to the decision, the revocation of concession was deemed legal, “as it was documented from the documents of the case file that the Ministers of Culture – in 1982 and 1996 – granted the property exclusively to S.E.A. for actions of the archaeologists – its members, compatible with the monument”.

As it was pointed out, the two ministers “never gave SEA, neither directly nor indirectly, the right to dispose of the property to third parties for their own actions. Nevertheless, S.E.A. granted the monument systematically and for a long time, to third parties for their own activities of any nature”.

Also, and based on the press release, “the decision expressly mentions and takes into account the following:

1. The actions of third parties inside the monument, which the (then) President of the S.E.A. with her letter 120/4.8.2023 (indicative: Annual celebrations of Alsace, Mexico, various bazaars, school events, book sales, etc.),

2. The actions of third parties within the monument, which were established by the National Transparency Authority and/or proved by the evidence of the case file (indicative and for a fee: Sales of yoga products, party of Photojournalists of Greece, pie cutting of the inhabitants of Kastaniana, feast of Ikariotes , meeting of the Union of Accountants etc.),

3. The written statement from 4.8.2023 of the (then) President of S.E.A. to the Minister of Culture that the event of 18.7.2023 about the wreck of Pylos was an event of third parties, and furthermore that S. E.A. had agreed that the third party organizers, the musicians and even the visitors of the event, would undertake the guarding and arrangement of the monument,

4. The subsequent illegal concession of the monument by S.E.A. to third parties, even after the withdrawal of the concession by the Administration. The decision indicates that S.E.A., after the revoked decision, made the monument available to a group identifying itself as the “March 8 Assembly”, which organized a party for feminism,

5. The written invitation from 11.8.2024 of the Minister of Culture to S.E.A. to submit, if he wishes, a request for granting a property as a seat and the no. 153/15.9.2023 document of the (then) President of S.E.A., with which he declared to the Minister that S.E.A. he wanted a property, not for headquarters, but only for temporary housing and especially for the specific period until the decision of the Supreme Court is issued. (S.E.A. acknowledges this choice in the Press Release dated 31.10.2023).

It is noted that the Ministry allocated to S.E.A. property at 19 Panos Street, in which S.E.A. he placed his file and library, while he undertook in writing that he would return it to the Ministry exactly on the third calendar day, after the issuance of the Supreme Court’s judgment, without any disturbance or other procedure. However, S.E.A. violated even this temporary concession, as the 761/2024 decision of the SC has already been published since 29.5.2024, but S.E.A. has not delivered the property at 19 Panos Street, until today.

Finally, regarding the trade union rights that S.E.A. claimed to have, the Court found that the basic condition required by law for a union to be considered a trade union, namely its registration in the Trade Union Books of the country, does not even exist. It is pointed out that SEA has never denied the fact that it has not been registered in the Books in question, but stated that it considers this finding of the Court as “insignificant” (31.5.2024 Press Release).

Following the above, the Supreme Court of Cassation concluded that S.E.A. it can freely carry out activities, in accordance with its statutory purposes, but not within the monument of Ermou 134-136, the concession of which it systematically violated”.

The Minister of Tradition Lina Mendoni, head of an echelon of officers of the Ministry of Tradition, is making a working go to to Rhodes.

Throughout the assembly held with the regional governor Giorgos Chatzimarkou and his colleagues, on the Rhodes Headquarters of the South Aegean Area, the management of the progress of the emblematic initiatives, the upgrading of the Fortress to the Medieval Metropolis of Rhodes and the actions taken to focus on of the Acropolis of Lindos.

The course of the cultural initiatives financed by the Regional Operational Program of the South Aegean – ESPA 2014-2021 and from the sources of the Restoration Fund managed by the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, in addition to the initiatives which are already financed or are about to be included within the PEP of the Aegean Area – had been mentioned. NSRF 2021-2027.

The financing of the Ministry

As Lina Mendoni identified, “the Aegean is a spot not simply blessed, however the place that gathers slightly greater than 30% of the monumental inventory of our nation. It is a big comparative benefit and on the identical time an enormous accountability as a result of we’ve the duty to handle it and above all to move it on, with absolute respect to the ideas of sustainability, to the following generations.

On the islands of the South Aegean, the Ministry of Tradition is finishing up initiatives value a number of million euros, whereas particularly within the Dodecanese, the tradition sector will take up, as well as, greater than 50 million euros from the Restoration Fund.

Particularly, the Restoration Fund funds the reconstruction of the Nationwide Theater of Rhodes in addition to a collection of interventions within the Medieval metropolis of Rhodes. Amongst them is the redevelopment of the Pervola space, close to the Grand Grasp’s Palace, which will likely be accomplished by the tip of 2025, when a brand new archaeological stroll, masking an space of ​​roughly 20 acres, will likely be put into use. It’s huge in measurement, it’s unimaginable. So I need to thank the Regional Governor as soon as once more, for all of the assist, for all of the cooperation”.

It’s famous that the medieval metropolis of Rhodes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Website since 1988.

Within the Medieval Metropolis

Afterwards, the Minister and the employees of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs visited initiatives which are in progress within the Medieval metropolis of Rhodes. The archeological web site of “Pervola” which extends to the northern a part of the walled Medieval Metropolis of Rhodes, is in direct contact with the medieval gardens of the Grand Grasp’s Palace, which had been opened to the general public final June. The museological examine envisages the group of an exhibition within the space of ​​the traditional youth and the medieval gardens of the Grand Grasp’s Palace and the creation of an open-air Sculpture Gallery within the Medieval Metropolis of Rhodes.

Lina Mendoni visited the world of ​​the traditional Neorion, the place the data of the finds are being recorded and their switch is deliberate, with a view to unencumber the world of ​​the Neorion and the Tetrapylos, with a view to spotlight the broader timeless archaeological web site and to attach the essential monuments, by way of a documented leisure studying path. The mapping of the Cardo quadrangle has already been accomplished, whereas the cleansing work continues. The Minister gave directions to hurry up all the mandatory procedures and to stick to the timetables in order that the house will be returned to the area people and guests to the island by the tip of 2025.

On the Murat Reis Mosque

It was adopted by an post-mortem on the Murat Reis Mosque, a posh and emblematic venture, during which the works being carried out are progressing inside a schedule. The monument has remained closed since 2000. The Murat Reis Mosque, which was in-built 1636 and took on its present type in 1797, is a vital monument of native Muslim historical past. On the identical time, it’s a particular instance of structure, which mixes traits of the Ottoman Baroque period, with Egyptian and neoclassical parts.

The Murat Reis complicated, with an space of ​​8 hectares, is a world pilgrimage web site that was created within the seventeenth century, exterior the medieval partitions, on the ocean entrance, close to the executive heart of town. It consists of the tomb of Murat Reis and the homonymous mosque, the purification fountain, a “tekke” (hermitage, hermitage of dervishes), the guardian’s residence and the cemetery, during which 7 domed mausoleums (turbeds) stand out. With the implementation of the venture, the static and structural issues of the mosque and the mausoleums are handled holistically.

As well as, particular care is given to the shaping of the encompassing space of ​​the monumental web site. On this context, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Dodecanese, making the most of the venture of classifying and recording the archaeological materials in Pervola, implements an exhibition of Ottoman tomb columns, throughout the monumental complicated. The recording of 400 columns has already been accomplished, and so they have been transferred to the positioning.

Within the mosque of Recep Pasha

Lastly, Lina Mendoni visited the Redzep Pasha Mosque, which was in-built 1587-78, and is a delegated historic monument, in Dorieos Sq., within the Medieval City of Rhodes. It is among the most essential monuments of Ottoman structure on the island. in honor of Normal Recep Pasha.

Restoration work is in full progress on the Monument, which incorporates the uncovering, upkeep and aesthetic restoration of its design ornament, the elimination of fragile coatings contained in the dome and the development of latest ones after the sanitization of the background, the place essential, the upkeep of the marble parts and the restoration of their authentic association.

The promotion of the encompassing space consists of the configuration of the outside of the mosque complicated and the mausoleum. Sanitary amenities are additionally being constructed within the part behind the mausoleum and a warehouse.

G.G. participated within the assembly and the post-mortem of the works. of Tradition Giorgos Didaskalou, the Normal Director of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Olympia Vikatu, the top of the Ephorate of Antiquities Dimitris Athanasoulis, the top of the South Aegean Antonis Voutsinos and the top of the Dodecanese Monuments and Technical Tasks Service Paraskevi Miotou and officers of the Ministry of Tradition and her District.