Greek island Delos in danger: UNESCO site faces submersion within decades

Greek media conveyed disturbing news concerning one of the small islets in the Aegean Sea. This location hosts an archaeological site that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. According to experts, the island will soon vanish from the surface.

Delos is a small, rocky islet in the Cyclades archipelago. In ancient times, it was called Ortygia. According to Greek media, its future is in jeopardy.

The island of Delos is uninhabited, but ancient ruins there attract many tourists. For archaeologists, they provide an essential source of knowledge about the lives of Greeks and Romans from those regions. However, experts warn that archaeologists from the École française d’Athènes, who have been excavating there for over 150 years, do not have much time to study the island.

The Greek City Times cited Veronique Chankowski, the organisation's director from Athens, admitting that Delos is doomed to disappear. Experts unanimously agree that the island's submersion is inevitable over the next few decades, and Chankowski said it could happen within 50 years.

According to Greek media, the water level has risen by as much as 20 metres in some places over a decade. Water gets close to the ruins yearly, seeps into the foundations, and then washes away the collapsed walls. High summer temperatures and sunlight also negatively affect the remnants of ancient buildings.

Jean-Charles Moretti, the director of the archaeological work conducted at the Delos excavation site, informed me that I notice more walls collapsing every spring.

Additionally, tourists who arrive there from Mykonos are damaging the tiny island. While exploring, they often go beyond the designated paths. Archaeologists unanimously confirm that protecting ancient monuments is becoming increasingly complex, if not impossible.