World Monuments Fund and Arch International (Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage) organize Pavlopetri Watch Day in July 23-24, 2016 in order to celebrate the site’s inclusion on the 2016 World Monuments Watch issued by the World Monuments Fund in October 2015. Pavlopetri is listed along with other cultural heritage sites at risk around the world.

Pavlopetri-Watch-Day-2

Photo: elafonisos.gov.gr

A few meters below the surface of the water, next to a sandy beach on Vatika Bay in southeastern Peloponnese, lie the archaeological remains of the oldest submerged city in the world. Pavlopetri—named after a modern settlement—was a Bronze Age city that was occupied from the third millennium until 1100 B.C. The surviving archaeological remains include traces of buildings—including thresholds and lintels—and courtyards, streets, and burial places.

Pavlopetri Watch Day 3

A rock-cut channel leads from the sunken city onto the modern-day mainland, with an arch that has been destroyed since Pavlopetri was first discovered, 1967. Photo: wmf.org

Events start on Saturday, July 23 at 11:00 a.m. where buoys will surround the site, protecting Pavlopetri from small boats that cross the site and anchor there, while signs will explain the importance of the site to future visitors.

Saturday 8:00 p.m., at Limira Mare Hotel in Neapolis, there will be presentations by Dr. Nic Flemming, who discovered Pavlopetri in 1967; Prof. Angelos Delivorrias, former Director of the Benaki Museum in Athens;
and Mr. Yiannis Avrimides, from the World Monuments Fund in New York City.

On Sunday, July 24 at 11:00 a.m. there will be a film screening about Pavlopetri, a film made by students of Elafonisos High School, followed by a discussion about the film production process, while at 12:00 p.m., on Elafonisos island there will be activities on the beach for younger children. Meanwhile, a two-part photographic exhibition is located in Elafonisos and at the Limira Mare Hotel, too.

For guided snorkel tours over the archeological site led by the discoverer of the site, Dr. Nicolas Flemming (in English) and Despina Koutsoumba, Greek marine archeologist (in Greek) sign up at info@archinternational.org
Spaces are limited.

Source: pavlopetri.org