A 1.55-million-euro project overseen by the Region of Attica will highlight and upgrade the facilities of the National Observatory of Athens on the Hill of the Nymphs, it was announced on Holy Wednesday.
The project includes the creation of a new observation platform as well as a multi-use hall.
The surrounding area will also be landscaped, and a souvenir store will sell themed items relating to the Observatory.
The observatory currently contains a multi-use hall which is very small. It can contain only 25 people at present, a number which will rise to 196 after the much-needed upgrade.
An Observatory spokesman said that the central scientific research institute – which also provides information on seismic activity in Greece and runs weather monitoring stations – has served research for 170 years. The upgrade will allow the use of facilities for congresses and scientific meetings.
The Attica Regional Council’s decision was welcomed by the Observatory director, professor Emmanuel Plionis, who said that the project will boost “the laborious efforts of the Observatory in recent years to increase its social presence, and convey to students and society at large the results of research conducted in Greece in a way that is easy to understand.”
The National Observatory of Athens was one of the first institutes established in modern Greece.
It was founded in 1842 and is among the oldest scientific institutes in southern Europe.
With information from AMNA
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