A ‘disrespectful’ tourist has sparked outrage in Greece after he was pictured lifting up an ancient stone to pose for a photo at a famed island temple.
The man is seen proudly holding a sizable fragment of white marble, seemingly removed from the historic grounds surrounding the Portara on Naxos, above his head.
The Portara – a massive marble gate – is the only remaining part of a temple built in 530 BC for the worship of Apollo but never completed.
It is part of the archaeological site of the sanctuary of Apollo Delius, which is free to enter and lacks formal security or ticketing.
While this makes the site more accessible, it also leaves its protection up to individual visitors.
Recently, images of tourists behaving disrespectfully at the site have circulated online.
In addition to the man holding the marble fragment, one photo shows a family setting up a makeshift bar at the temple, complete with skewers and soft drinks.
Furious locals have responded with anger, expressing their their disapproval online.
One person wrote: ‘This photo captures a sad and dangerous reality: visitors climbing ancient marbles, picking them up, and mistreating them for a photo.
‘This behavior is not only offensive to our historic heritage but also dangerous to our very preservation.’
A second said: ‘Tourism in Greece must end here and now.’
A third wrote: ‘Antiquities are not a popular market. They need care, they need maintenance and they need guarding.’
A third added: ‘Impunity. Throw him a hefty fine. He’ll do it again.’
Someone else emphasised the importance of the marble saying, ‘They are not stones! They are our history.
‘What people could create with the available materials, thousands of years ago. And the following generations tried to preserve them.
‘They are not lifeless stones, but the soul and history of Greece.’
According to the Mayor of Naxos, Dimitris Lianos, the Ministry of Culture was immediately informed of the incidents and a guard has now been posted at the site to supervise. It is not yet clear how long the guard will be there.
Lianos told protothema.gr: “What the Municipality and the residents of the island want, and we have submitted it to the Ministry of Culture, is for an on-site restoration and promotion of this particular archaeological site.
‘That is, for it to be maintained and operated in an organized manner, with a ticket and security, so as to ensure its protection and generate revenue that will be attributed to Culture.’
The marble incident follows a string of other recent tourist blunders.
In June, a careless holidaymaker sparked fury in Italy after he damaged a priceless 18th century painting while trying to take a selfie.
The unnamed culprit had been enjoying a visit to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence when his day out took a turn for the worse.
The man decided to try and capture a picture of himself mimicking the pose of Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, in a portrait by Anton Domenico Gabbiani.
But the visitor’s bright idea soon became an embarrassing blunder when he lost his balance.
The man stumbled backward, falling against the portrait and leaving a hole at the level of the prince’s right boot.
Museum staff were quick to identify the man and reported him to the police for causing the damage.
The painting was removed for repair, with experts concluding that the damage was relatively minor.
It came after just weeks earlier a tourist was caught on CCTV sitting on a crystal-studded ‘Van Gogh’ chair exhibit in an Italian art gallery – before it buckles under him.
The chair, which is named after the famous Dutch painter, is housed in the Maffei Palace, Verona, and is covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.
It was designed by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and is described by local media as being ‘extremely fragile and delicate’.
However, it appears that while admiring the art, a tourist spotted their opportunity for a photo with no security around – without regard for the chair’s condition.
In the shocking footage, a man and woman can be seen posing with the eye-catching chair in the otherwise empty room.
As the man takes the woman’s photo, she leans in front of the the chair in order to create the illusion in the photograph that she is sitting on it.
But the man took this one step further and can be seen hovering above the exhibit, before placing himself down on it.
The chair immediately bends back into the wall and is left in a crooked state as the pair scurry out of the room.
In the aftermath of the incident, the museum’s social media accounts released a statement describing the ‘nightmare’ situation.
They said: ‘Every museum’s nightmare has become reality, even in Palazzo Maffei.
‘Waiting for the surveillance officers to come out, some visitors took an “in effect” photo.
‘The result? An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, a very delicate work, covered entirely with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.’
The museum was in crisis for days as it was unsure whether they could repair it, given the severity of the damage.
But thanks to ‘restorers who did a fantastic job’ and Italian law enforcement who assisted in their efforts, the museum has said ‘the piece is shining once again’.