One of the worlds most historic landmarks can now be seen in full view for the first time in 200 years

The heavens have opened up.Tourists to the Acropolis in Athens will soon be able to enjoy a sight that hasn’t been visible for a very long time — a clear view of the Parthenon.For the first time in 20 years, the scaffolding will come off the iconic temple to Athena, offering visitors an unobstructed vista of the structure, the Smithsonian reported.The construction shell had been installed then as part of an ongoing campaign by conservationists to restore and maintain the Western facade.Meanwhile, this latest unveiling will reportedly mark the first time in 200 years that the UNESCO heritage site has been completely free of construction scaffolding of any kind.“It is like they are seeing a different, a completely different monument,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said during an interview on Skai radio Friday, AP News reported.The optimal vista will reportedly be the Western side, where the scaffolding’s removal will expose the street-level view.Unfortunately, the scaffolding hiatus will be brief as a new framework will be put in place along the Parthenon’s western side in around a month.Fortunately, this time around, the scaffolding will be “lighter and aesthetically much closer to the logic of the monument,” Mendoni said.Thankfully, the conservation project will only last until early next summer, whereupon the shell will finally be taken down, and “people will be able to see it truly free,” he said.Erected in the 5th century BC to honor Athens’ patron goddess Athena, the Parthenon is the centerpiece of the Acropolis, which is Greece’s most popular historic site with an estimated 4.5 million visitors in 2024.In 2023, the Greek government attempted to curb crowding by imposing a visitor cap, permitting just 20,000 individuals to visit the landmark each day.Now, sightseers are now required to book a timed entry slot and but a general admission ticket for around $35 during the peak summer months....