From now on, tourists visiting the Acropolis in Athens will have a new way to appreciate this iconic archaeological site. Thanks to an app supported by the Greek Ministry of Culture, Chronos, visitors will be able to see what the Acropolis is believed to have looked like 2,500 years ago. And the only thing tourists will need is to use their smartphones.
This technological advance offers a digital overlay of the ancient structure, including sculptures currently housed in the British Museum in London. In fact, Greece has been demanding the return of marble sculptures from the Parthenon that were removed more than 200 years ago.
Chronos, named after the mythological king of the Titans and the Greek word for “time,” allows visitors to see what the Parthenon or the sculptures inside it originally looked like, simply by pointing their mobile devices at the monument. This vision is possible thanks to augmented reality, which shows the old impression of the place on the screen. Additionally, the app reveals lesser-known features, such as the bold color paint that used to adorn many of the Acropolis sculptures.
Developed by Greek telecommunications provider Cosmote, the application offers a virtual guide powered by artificial intelligence called Clio, which offers more details of everything displayed on the screen to offer an immersive experience.
Virtual restoration not only offers a more complete perspective of the site, but could also save some visitors time, avoiding the long uphill walk and long waits to see the iconic monuments up close. This could be beneficial to the country's campaign to turn Greek cities into year-round destinations, as tourism is vital to the Greek economy.
For tourists, this interactive experience is enriching their visit. Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis, a tourist from London, expressed her excitement, saying: "I didn't know much about the Acropolis and they had to convince me to come here. Seeing this has made it more interesting - seeing it in colour. I'm more of a visual person, so that being interactive really helped me appreciate it."
Augmented reality is emerging as a promising technology in various areas, from medical surgery to entertainment and tourism. Tech companies like Meta and Apple are pushing virtual reality, but mobile phones remain the primary platform for delivering augmented reality to consumers.
Greece's Ministry of Culture and the national tourism authority have teamed up with technology to improve accessibility to ancient monuments. The minister of this portfolio, Lina Mendoni, highlighted that these innovations will expand accessibility to ancient monuments in Greece, complementing physical facilities, such as ramps and non-slip paths. “Accessibility is expanding into the digital space,” she said.
According to the Bank of Greece, the number of incoming visitors from January to July increased by 21.9% compared to the previous year, generating revenues of over €10 billion. In addition to "Chronos," other efforts, such as the popular video game Assassin's Creed Odyssey and an immersive digital tour of ancient Olympia in collaboration with Microsoft, have attracted new visitors.
The virtual reconstruction using "Chronos" also extends to other Acropolis monuments, including an adjacent Roman theater and parts of the Acropolis Museum, further enriching the experience of visitors exploring this cultural treasure in Greece.
