Ancient Olympia 'saved'
2007-08-26 18:35
Athens - The site of Ancient Olympia in Greece and its museum were "saved" on Sunday from forest fires that had been threatening them, the secretary general of the culture ministry, Christos Zahopoulos, told AFP.
"The new archaeological museum has been saved and the flames did not enter the site of Ancient Olympia, where all the anti-fire systems functioned," he said.
He added that the museum had been evacuated as a precaution.
Earlier, firemen has said that homes in Olympia village, next to the UNESCO-listed site, were burning.
The fire had also burned forested land near the site and heavy smoke covered the region.
Thirty firefighters backed up by a plane, three helicopters and 11 vehicles were battling the flames, officials in Athens said.
Olympia, in the Peloponnese peninsula, has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and in the 10th century BC became a centre for the worship of Zeus.
In addition to temples, there are the remains of all the sports structures erected for the Olympic Games held at the site from 776 BC until the fourth century AD.