The Committee for the Preservation of Monuments Acropolis and the Acropolis Restoration Service invite you to explore the Acropolis monuments and learn about the restoration interventions using the upgraded virtual tour web application that allows the interactive investigation of the archaeological site. By taking a virtual ‘walk’ through the archaeological site, you will find yourself among the Temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaea, you will stand inside the Parthenon and the Erechtheion, you will enjoy the view of Athens and you will examine the walls surrounding the Acropolis hill.
The application uses high resolution panoramic images, which are complemented with textual information about the monuments and selected areas of interest. Users can orientate themselves through an orthophotomap of the Acropolis and choose different viewing positions depending on the monument or their interests, following their own route through the archaeological site. The images facilitate detailed zooming onto the monuments, making visible the erosion of the marble, the cracks, the conservation repairs. They also allow the observation of areas that are inaccessible to the public, e.g. the circuit walls or the interior of the Parthenon, while a number of night shots are included to demonstrate the impression of the monuments off visiting hours. Finally, textual content provides information on the history and architecture of the monuments, as well as on the restoration works.
The application comprises an upgrade from a previous version with a focus on extending the app’s functionality to mobile devices and augmenting the information content. The decision to adopt cutting-edge technological solutions to bring online the entirety of the archaeological site aims at presenting the restoration works undertaken as well as promoting access to this important world heritage site. Enhanced visual access through the specific solutions adopted can be used as a basis to explore the monuments by any interested party or potential visitor, as well as a scientific or educational tool in several disciplines.
The application is accessible at http://acropolisvirtualtour.gr. Development was realized through the collaboration of the Documentation Office of YSMA with Culturplay, a company specializing in the provision of digital media solutions and interarctive tools for the cultural heritage domain. We hope it manages to enrich the understanding of the monuments and the restoration projects for every ‘virtual’ visitor!
