‘Crossed the line’: Tourist’s ‘disrespectful’ act at ancient Greek site shocks onlookers

A tourist has been labelled “disrespectful” after lifting up an ancient chunk of marble for a photo opportunity in Greece.

A tourist has been labelled “disrespectful” after lifting up an ancient chunk of marble for a photo opportunity in Naxos, Greece.

A photograph of the man was taken and shared to Facebook by Naxos local Kiriakos Jr Boulamatsis, The New York Post reported, captioned, “They have crossed the line. Wake up before it’s too late.”

The desecration reportedly occurred at the iconic Portara, a 20-foot (6 metres) high marble doorway on the islet of Palatia.

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The unidentified man hoists the marble slab aloft while a woman snaps his picture. Picture: Facebook

It’s the last remnant of a temple to Apollo, which was constructed between the sixth and seventh centuries BC before the project was abandoned due to political upheaval, according to the Greek Reporter.

In the picture, the shirtless man is seen holding up a massive slab of stone seemingly taken from the grounds surrounding the cultural landmark, as a woman takes photos of him.

The image sparked a backlash on social media, with one critic calling the act “disrespectful in every way”.

“It feels like people are becoming more stupid year after year,” another wrote.

“Naxos is increasingly becoming a Disneyland and the visitors probably have money, but no respect and decency,” a third commented.

The Portara is the last remaining remnant of a temple to Apollo that was started in the sixth century BC but was never completed. Picture: iStock

Mr Boulamatsis, who shared the photo, said the behaviour highlighted the lack of adequate protection measures at the site, which is free to visit but lacks formal security or ticketing.

He called on Naxos authorities to immediately deploy security guards, along with other security measures.

“Don’t wait until the season is over. Do it before the month changes,” he said.

Mr Boulamatsis also claimed that had this occurred in another country, the offender would’ve been “fined and deported”.

According to Naxos Mayor Dimitris Lianos, the Ministry of Culture was made aware of the incident and has since posted a guard to the gate – although it’s not yet clear how long they will remain there.

This article originally appeared on The New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as ‘Crossed the line’: Tourist’s ‘disrespectful’ act at ancient Greek site shocks onlookers