The Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments (ESMA) was formed in 1975; it is an interdisciplinary committee, set up by the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for designing and supervising the contemporary conservation and restoration interventions in the Acropolis monuments. Since then ESMA has been persistently working by coordinating interventions, research, and the documentation of works. In addition, it has focused on spreading and using for educational purposes the restorations cultural material that has resulted from the works and has played an important part in the history of monument restoration.
To mark the forty-fifth anniversary of the formation of ESMA, the Documentation Office and the Office of Information and Education of the Acropolis Restoration Service (YSMA) designed and realised a series of digital activities, which retrieve documents from the extensive Archive of the Service and present the various and different ways of approaching the restoration works.
Follow the links to browse through our activities, learn more about ESMA, keep up to date for the completed and on-going programmes, be creative by using the educational activities we have designed or enjoy the colourful photographic mosaic of the restorations!
With the lens focused on restoration
What do visitors and workers of the archaeological site actually see when they are behind their cameras? This is what we sought to find out through the photographic action “The Acropolis: focusing on the restoration”. The aim of this activity was to capture photographically snippets of the Acropolis monuments’ “daily life” as seen through the artistic gaze of the visitors. The public proved to be keen and enthusiastic participants. Follow the link to browse through the digital album we have designed for you, enjoy the beautiful photographs and get to know the stories behind them.
Works timeline
On the occasion of celebrating 45 years of operation, we searched into the photographic archive that the Documentation Office supervises and manages and we enriched the digital works timeline with impressive photographs. Follow the link to get to know ESMA’s history, get informed about the interventions in the Acropolis monuments and enjoy watching the photographs from our archive. Browse through the project timeline to identify on your own the extent of the interventions and how the monuments and the archaeological site have changed.
From the audiovisual archive to the screen
From the outset of works ESMA, wishing to document the interventions in the best possible way, committed itself to composing an audio-visual archive. Not only photographs but also film was systematically used to document the interventions. In 2019 the Documentation Office finished the digitalisation of older audio-visual material, and so today the general public can access selected films from this archive. Follow our link to enjoy five films that have been produced with the scientific guidance of ESMA.
Open access to knowledge
ESMA, since its formation, has been promoting the academic dialogue through the publication of research papers, conference proceedings and reports on completed works. In parallel, it publishes material that informs the general public about its work. For the first time readers can access ESMA’s publications on line. Follow the first link in order to get to know the publications of scientific and general information content. Follow the second link to browse through the periodical publication of “The Acropolis Restoration News”.
Learn, play, create...from home!
Since 1987 – when the first educational programme was organised on the Acropolis – ESMA has exhibited a steady interest in making use of scientific knowledge for the benefit of students of primary and secondary education. YSMA’s Office of Information and Education runs educational programmes, provides information to teachers and produces educational material (publications, museum educational kits, family backpacks, and digital applications) that can be used in the archaeological site, the museum, at school or even at home. Follow the links to get to know the two educational activities that were designed for the celebration of the 45 years of ESMA’s operation. They are addressed to children and parents, as well as school groups that wish to play and create while being motivated from the Acropolis monuments.
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