Ancient Greek Fortifications of Fyli on Mt Parnitha to Be Restored

ATHENS – The remains of the ancient Greek fortress of Fyli on Parnitha Mountain will be supported and restored under a Ministry of Culture plan to start soon, the ministry said on Thursday.

In a statement, the ministry said the Central Archaeological Council approved the architectural report for the immediate start of restoration of the South Gate, the East Central Gate, and the two towers on each side.

A part of ancient Athens’ defense system in the 4th century, the Fyli Fortress is one of the best-preserved fortifications on the mountain. It lies in the southwest slope region, nearly 10 km northwest of the modern town of Fyli and was used against the Macedonians. It was built in the 4th century at an altitude of 675 meters, and it covers 0.35 hectares (3.5 stremmas). It included four towers, one of which was round. Today’s remains include a section of the fortress running for nearly 300 meters. The fortification faces the eastern art of the mountain, as the west is naturally fortified due to its steepness.

It has several static and functional issues that became worse during the 1999 and 2019 earthquakes and the fire of 2023