Visitors to the Acropolis can now see the west side of the Parthenon intact for the first time in some 220 years.
Officially unveiled on Thursday, restorers have placed two new blocks of marble in the long gaps high up at the western end of the temple – the sight visitors see when they first enter the ancient monument in Athens.
The 25th-century monument overlooking the Greek capital attracted an estimated 4.6 million visitors last year. Long-term restoration projects address damage caused by war, weather and looting, including the broken outline of the west side.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni described the event after the latest restoration as “very surprising”.
The two new stones, he said, do more than fill the gap.
“They allow the unique proportions and geometric perfection of the west face of the Parthenon to be seen again,” he said.
