Mount Olympus Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

The news in Greek

1. λίστα  (f.)
   Μια συλλογή ονομάτων ή πραγμάτων γραμμένων το ένα κάτω από το άλλο. ↩︎
2. σημαντικός
   Κάτι που έχει μεγάλη αξία ή σπουδαιότητα. ↩︎
3. φυτό  (n.)
   Ένας ζωντανός οργανισμός που μεγαλώνει στη γη και έχει φύλλα και ρίζες. ↩︎
4. σπάνιος
   Κάτι που δεν το βρίσκεις εύκολα, που υπάρχει σε πολύ μικρή ποσότητα. ↩︎
5. ανήκω
   Να είσαι ιδιοκτησία κάποιου ή να αποτελείς μέρος κάποιου συνόλου. ↩︎
6. προστατεύω
   Να φροντίζεις κάτι ή κάποιον ώστε να μην κινδυνεύει ή να μην πάθει κακό. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What has happened to Mount Olympus according to the summary?

Question 2: What does the Prime Minister say about Mount Olympus?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
λίστα  (f.)	list
σημαντικός	important
φυτό  (n.)	plant
σπάνιος	rare
ανήκω	to belong
προστατεύω	to protect

Read the full story

Mount Olympus has been unanimously inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, following a decision taken at the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held in the city of Busan, South Korea, from 19 July.

The wider Olympus area was added as a Mixed Property — one of the most demanding categories, requiring evidence of both cultural and natural significance. Mixed inscriptions represent a comparatively small proportion of all entries on the World Heritage List, and this was the only such nomination considered at the current session.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the decision as “a national achievement of the first order,” adding: “From today, the mythical Olympus becomes a mountain belonging to all of humanity, which must be protected for ever.” He also noted that the recognition follows similar successes for the Zagoria region and the Minoan Palaces of Crete.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the inscription “confirms Greece’s enduring commitment to the protection, promotion and sustainable management of its cultural and natural heritage.” She noted that Homer had described Olympus in his works nearly three millennia ago, and that the mountain continues to inspire thought, art and science worldwide.

Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou pointed out that Olympus was declared Greece’s first National Park in 1938, hosts rare birds of prey, and is home to more than 1,900 plant species — 27 of which grow nowhere else in the world. He announced that interventions worth more than ten million euros would be carried out in the area in the near future, aimed at environmental protection, improved accessibility and sustainable development.

The nomination process, which began in 2014, was led by the Natural Environment and Climate Change Organisation (NECCA) together with the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities within the Ministry of Culture.