A simple photographic shot turned on a wave of indignation throughout Greece. The image, which quickly made the tour of social media, shows a tourist with a naked torso as he proudly raises a massive fragment of ancient white marble, apparently taken from the historical land surrounding the iconic brings to the island of Naxos.
The episode that triggered the controversies
The photograph, taken by Kiriakos Jr. Boulamatsis, a resident of Naxos, has unleashed a ferocious protest throughout Greece. In his Facebook post accompanied by the controversial image, Boulamatsis wrote:
“They exceeded the limit. Wake up before it’s too late.”
The horrible episode took place at the famous Portara – a 20 -foot high marble door on the islet full of Palatia history. It is the last part left of a temple dedicated to Apollo that had been built between the 6th and 6th centuries AC but was abandoned due to political upheavals.
Τα πολλά λόγια είναι φτωχια. Άμεσα φύλαterial και προστασία. Οχι σήμερα, χτες. Ξεπέρασαν τα ouscode. Ξυπνήστε πριν να είναι …
Posted by Kiriakos Jr Boulamatsis on Tuesday, July 29, 2025
A millennial heritage under threat
The door represents one of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Greece. Today, the massive car 6 meters high remains almost perfectly intact and serves as an amazing example of the ancient mastery of Naxos marble. The position of the door was not accidental. It is believed that the temple was positioned to look towards Delo, the sacred island of Apollo.
The tourist’s gesture caused hard reactions on social media.
“Unresolved in every way!”
He commented on one user, while another wrote:
“It seems that people are becoming more and more stupid year after year.”
Naxos is becoming more and more Disneyland and visitors probably have money, but no respect and decency ”.
The consequences and measures adopted
The mayor of Naxos, Dimitris Lianos, confirmed that the Ministry of Culture was informed of the accident and subsequently positioned a guard at the site, even if it is not yet clear for how long it will remain there.
This recent episode has led to widespread requests for better security measures at the site. Currently, the archaeological site is freely accessible without formal or security entrance tickets, a situation that many believe must change urgently.
Boulamatsis underlined the need for adequate protections, declaring that if this had happened in another country, the offender would have been “fined and deported”. He invited the Naxos authorities to immediately deploy security guards together with other protection measures, exclaiming:
“Don’t wait for the season to end. Do it before you change the month!”
A wider problem than irresponsible tourism
The image of the “Ercole” unspecious naked has been published on social media and triggered indignation in the local community. This episode reflects a wider problem of the irresponsible behavior of tourists at sites of historical and cultural importance.
The lesson to be learned
This accident serves as a warning on the importance of respecting cultural and archaeological heritage, not only of Greece but from all over the world. Ancient sites such as the door are precious testimonies of our common history and require protection and respect from all visitors.
Naxos’ episode demonstrates how urgent it is to implement more effective security measures at the archaeological sites open to the public, balancing cultural accessibility with the necessary protection of these unavailable treasures for future generations.
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