THE RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF LYKEION IN ATHENS

Dimitrios KOUTSOGIANNIS

The remains of the palaestra of the Gymnasium at the site of the Lykeion were unearthed in 1996 during the rescue excavations for building a Museum of Contemporary Art in the center of Athens. The finding of the monument was identified as the wider area of the Lykeion Gymnasium linked with Aristotle. The ruins of the palaestra were situated in the south foot of Lykabettus hill and in the est part of the ancient Diochares Gate.

Covering a surface of 11.000 square meters, the archaeological remains was restored with limited reconstructions of walls, and protection with shelters of vulnerable points such as the baths and the cistern in the courtyard in order to offer readability of the monument, arrangement of access for visitors, viewing bleachers and boosting the Mediteranean flora, in an effort to render the variety characteristic of the landscape of Ilissos river in the time of the antiquity. The end of the works in the summer of the year 2014 gave the opportunity to host in the Gymnasium of Lykeion an international philosophy conference.