King Philip and Queen Mathilde visited the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in southern Attica on Tuesday on the second day of their state visit to Greece.
The temple, located on a rock seventy meters high that emerges from the sea, dates from the 5th century BC and was built to the glory of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. A guide presented the site and its history to the royal couple and the Belgian delegation, who took some photos. After the visit to the temple, the royal couple was able to discover an immersive technology that might be used in the tourism sector.
The King and Queen also discussed with Belgian and Greek researchers the new technologies used in archeology and for the preservation of cultural heritage. On Tuesday followingnoon, the royal couple visited the archaeological site of Thorikos, where one of the oldest and richest communities around Athens lived.
Archaeological excavations began there in 1960 on the initiative of Herman Mussche, professor of Greek archeology at the University of Ghent. This project then grew and now involves 64 researchers from 30 universities and research centres. It has been directed since 2010 by Professor Roald Docter from the University of Ghent.
Professor Docter introduced the King and Queen and the delegation to the site’s unique theater, where the community’s democratic process took place, and where precious metals such as silver and lead, extracted from nearby mines, were separated thanks to an ingenious system. The monarchs will return to Athens in the evening for a private tour of the Acropolis Museum. Finally, to conclude this second day of visit, the King and Queen will offer a concert by the string quartet of the National Orchestra of Belgium in honor of the Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. This will take place in the exhibition hall of the Parthenon frieze.
