Ancient Greek City Philippi Vies for Spot on UNESCO World Heritage List

The ancient Greek city of Philippi is vying for a spot on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which will be drawn up and presented during the 40th session of the Committee at the Istanbul Congress Center in Turkey on July 10-20.

Originally colonized by the people of Thassos for its abundance in precious metals, timber and agricultural products, the eastern Macedonia city was later established by King Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC. Abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest, it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.

A total of 21 countries will vote on whether Greece’s candidacy should be included on the list. Once a year, an intergovernmental World Heritage Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage List. To be included on the list, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of 10 selection criteria.

The archaeological site’s nomination proposal has been undertaken by the Kavala Municipality and the Culture Ministry.

“We hope that our efforts will pay off in July. The honor and the responsibility will be shared,” said the Head of Antiquities of the Kavala-Thassos Regional Unit, Stavroula Dadaki.