$183B Seaside Mega City in Egypt Set to Rival Mediterranean Hotspots

New Alamein city on the north coast of Egypt.
New Alamein mega city on the north coast of Egypt. Credit: Johan5885. CC BY 1.0/Wikimedia Commons/Johan5885

A $183 billion seaside mega city, New Alamein, in Egypt, is touted to become the crown jewel of the Mediterranean, luring tourists away from traditional European holiday destinations such as Greece, Italy and Spain.

Nestled along the sparkling north coast, New Alamein City of Egypt is a bustling metropolis poised to take on Greece, Italy and Spain for tourist numbers in the Mediterranean. It has white sandy beaches, shares in the Mediterranean climate and presents a vision of modernity – offering a salad of cultural richness and luxury.

New Alamein City has been designed to the highest standards expected of a fourth-generation city, and aims to revolutionize the north coast’s tourism scene. Unlike the private resorts that can be found along the shoreline, this new metropolis is an open-to-the-public city experience, which gives travelers from around the world an opportunity to bathe in its splendour.

In addition to its allure as a tourist hotspot, New Alamein City works to alleviate some of Cairo’s congestion issues, offering an alternative living space for millions.

Sprawling across 50,000 acres and stretched for 60 kilometers along the coast, the mega city is set to accommodate more than three million people upon completion, taking the strain off Egypt’s capital.

New Alamein is not just a new Tourist Destination for Egypt

The main focus of this grand new city however is to house a number of global projects, ranging from business and trade centers to luxurious residential towers and fancy resorts. The first phase is already underway, spanning 8,000 acres and housing 400,000 residents, and a precedent has been set for future urban development in the region.

New Alamein City has been placed strategically, stretching 48 kilometers along the International Alexandria-Matrouh Road in the Marsa Matrouh Governate’s borders.
The city has split its offering into three distinct sectors, international tourism, historical or archaeological, and urban or residential, providing a diverse range of experiences for guests and homeowners alike.

Somewhat comparable to Greece, Italy and Spain, New Alamein City stands out for its mesmerising Mediterranean vistas, sun-drenched beaches and Neptune-blue water – not unlike the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Further, the historical or archaeological sector of New Alamein City gives tourists the opportunity to peer into Egypt’s legendary past, similar to the historical richness found in Italy’s Rome or Greece’s Athens.

Tower block at New Alamein city.
Tower block at New Alamein city. Credit: Abdelrhman 1990. CC BY 4.0/Wikimedia Commons/Abdelrhman 1990

The Egyptian government intends for New Alamein City to draw large numbers of tourists to the Mediterranean beaches of the north coast, and it asserts that roughly 30 developers have been granted permits to move forward with the construction of hotels for 30,000 rooms.

Many of the units are in high-rise buildings along the beach, with towers already under construction, including the North Edge Towers and The Gate projects. Other centers of activity in New Alamein City will include three universities and a “city of culture and arts” to encompass a Roman Theater, studio complexes, an opera hall and a cinema complex.

Themistocles: The Fall of a Great Ancient Greek General and Statesman

Themistocles
Themistocles orders a sacrifice prior to the Battle of Salamis. Artist unknown. Public Domain

Themistocles will always be lauded as the great general who literally pushed the Persians out of ancient Greece with his admirable strategy in the Battle of Salamis.

Several historians argue that if the 480 BC historic naval battle had not been won by the Greeks, the course of history and Western civilization would have been entirely different.

The astute general knew the Salamis straits very well. His plan was to draw the Persian fleet in there, as he knew that at a certain time every day, a breeze and a heavy swell would come that would catch the Persians by surprise.

Indeed, the Persian fleet was drawn into the Salamis straits, which did not allow much maneuverability. The enemy ships were trapped, and the outnumbered Greek ships took  them down one by one.

It was a glorious victory contributed to a clever general who loved his city-state of Athens and did his best to protect it from the mighty army of Xerxes. For that, he was treated as a hero by the Athenians and won the respect of Athens’ arch rival, the Spartans. In fact, Sparta honored Themistocles for his victory.

After the Persian threat disappeared, Athens went through a period of rebuilding and regeneration. It was a time when the arts thrived, following a boost in the economy. Themistocles further fortified Athens and Piraeus, and the city-state was at its high again.

However, even though the Spartans lauded Themistocles for his victory at Salamis and honored him, they did not want him to fortify Athens following its destruction by the Persians.

Decline and ostracism

Themistocles was glorified after the victory at Salamis and his popularity among Athenians was at its peak. However, his political rivals did not stop trying to undermine him, and Themistocles’ arrogance was fuel to their fire.

There is a saying that “the higher you climb, the harder you fall.” This is exactly what was in store for the Athenian statesman following his victory against the Persian invaders.

The conservative Aristides the Just was Themistocles’ main political rival. A politician and general himself, in 482 BC, he was opposed to Themistocles’ decision to use the silver from the Laurium mines so as to build a strong fleet. For this reason, he was ostracized.

However, Aristides was recalled in 480 BC and fought bravely both at Salamis and the Battle of Plataea. The conservative Aristides began gaining popularity, unlike Themistocles who became all the more arrogant following his achievements. While Themistocles proposed a stronger naval force and more aggressive foreign policy, Aristides supported a well-trained infantry and domestic stability.

Themistocles’ opponents were mainly aristocrats who did not seem to forgive him for the political and social reforms against them. They accused him of authoritarianism, contempt for democratic institutions, and for his money-loving and arrogant egotism.

There was some basis in these accusations because Themistocles was a man who aimed to succeed in his endeavors by all means necessary. His enemies disregarded the fact that his endeavors were for the benefit of Athens and its citizens. Instead, they focused on his weaknesses and waged political war against him.

The pro-Spartan Athenian aristocracy finally won and managed to ostracize him.

The Fall of Themistocles

By 471 BC, the once glorified Themistocles was ostracized, despite his substantial contribution in kicking out the invading Persians and the fact that he hadn’t actually committed any wrongdoing as a statesman. As Plutarch described it, however, ostracism was not exactly punishment:

“Now the sentence of ostracism was not a chastisement of base practices, nay, it was speciously called a humbling and docking of oppressive prestige and power; but it was really a merciful exorcism of the spirit of jealous hate, which thus vented its malignant desire to injure, not in some irreparable evil, but in a mere change of residence for ten years.” (Plutarch, Aristides, Chapter 7)

Ostracon with Themistocles' name
“Ostracon” with “Themistocles of Neocleus” written on it, meant to ostracize the Athenian statesman and general. Public Domain

Nevertheless, Themistocles did not merely fall from grace. He was exiled, persecuted, and not permitted to stay anywhere too long.

He first lived in exile in Argos. While he was there, he was targeted by the Spartans. It was either out of jealousy because he was the hero of Salamis or because he tricked them and built walls in Athens against their will.

Themistocles lefts Argos secretly. He went to Corcyra (modern day Corfu), where the islanders in fear of Athens’ wrath, hesitated to offer him sanctuary. From there, he ventured to the kingdom of Admetus in Molossia, where he was welcomed. However, he didn’t end up staying there for very long either.

Bust of Themistocles
Bust of Themistocles . Credit: Saliko, Wikimedia Commons

With few options left, Themistocles moved east to Macedonia, and from there, he ended up seeking asylum at the Court of the Persian king Artaxerxes, who ascended the throne in 465 BC following the assassination of his father, Xerxes.

The Persian king, intrigued by the prospect of having a former Athenian general and statesman at his court, welcomed Themistocles and offered him estates in Magnesia, Lampsacus, and Myus.

For his part, Themistocles learned the Persian language and customs and integrated himself into the Persian royal court. He also provided Artaxerxes with information about Greek politics and military tactics.

Themistocles died in 459 BC, but the circumstances of his death are unclear. According to some accounts, he poisoned himself because Artaxerxes asked him to give him insights on how to suppress a revolution in Egypt. However, Themistocles did not want to act against the interests of Greece. Other accounts claim he was poisoned by enemies. Of course, he could have also died of natural causes.

When Themistocles was ungratefully ostracized from Athens, Thucydides is said to have indignantly remarked that the Athenians tend to get tired of being benefitted by the same man for too long.

Artaxerxes, on the other hand, was very happy when the great hero of Salamis was in his palace and welcomed him with courtesy, saying: “I wish the Greeks would always drive away their best people like this.”

Five Ancient Greek Mysteries that Remain Unsolved

ancient Greek mysteries unsolved
A Mycenaean death mask. Credit: Sharon Mollerus / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Ancient Greek history is one of the most intensely studied periods of human history, and yet a multitude of mysteries associated with this enigmatic civilization remain unsolved.

Of course, modern archaeologists and historians have a wealth of sources to work with, including the impressive architectural works of the Greeks, the literature they passed down to us, and a whole host of artworks, implements, tools, and relics that have been preserved and discovered.

Nevertheless, the primary sources available are not infinite, and many mysteries associated with the ancient Greeks remain shrouded by time. Perhaps one day they will be solved when new evidence emerges, or else we are fated to gaze back in wonderment at the distant past.

How did the Pythia at the Oracle of Delphi make predictions?

Located on the southwestern slopes of Mount Parnassus, Delphi is one of Greece’s most enormous and important archaeological sites. It has been part of Parnassos National Park since 1938.

The Oracle of Delphi, the Pythia, who was also referred to as the sibyl, was a priestess who would prophesy from the tripod in the sunken adyton of the Temple of Apollo. The god himself was believed to speak through this oracle.

When asked a question, the Oracle — perhaps quite cunningly — never gave a direct answer, but spoke in allegories with “hidden meanings” and “ambiguities,” according to Plutarch, who was himself a priest of Apollo and a great historian. It was then up to the inquiring party as to how to interpret them.

ancient Greek mysteries unsolved
Oracle of Delphi depicted on a red figure style kylix, c. 440 to 430 BC. Credit: Zde / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

While in a trance, the Pythia “raved” –  most likely a form of ecstatic speech – and her ravings were “translated” by the priests of the temple into elegant hexameters. The source of these prophecies remains one of the most enigmatic mysteries of ancient Greece.

It has been speculated that the ancient writers, including Plutarch — who had worked as a priest at Delphi — were correct in attributing the oracular effects to the sweet-smelling pneuma, or vapor, escaping from the chasm in the rock.

Modern researchers are yet to reach a concrete conclusion, although the inhalation of certain gasses and fumes is believed to be responsible. For example, one Italian study identified a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane as a possible cause.

What caused the end of the Mycenaean civilization?

The Mycenaeans were one of the most enigmatic and mysterious civilizations of the Bronze Age. They were the first advanced Greek civilization on the Greek mainland itself where they flourished from 1750 to 1050 BC.

The name for the Mycenaeans is a modern historiographical distinction derived from the city of Mycenae, the home of Agamemnon in Greek mythology. Political life in most Mycenaean polities centered on the palaces where the king played a religious, military, and judicial role.

The reason for the collapse of this phase of ancient Greek civilization remains one of the most interesting mysteries of the Bronze Age.

Lion Gate Mycenae
The Lion Gate of Mycenae. Credit: Andreas Trepte / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5

Some of the Mycenaean palatial sites show signs of damage, possibly caused by fires, fighting, or natural earthquakes. Other sites appear to have been abandoned. Whatever the cause, between 1250 and 1200 BC, the importance of the palaces declined and centralized control on the Greek mainland disintegrated. Linear B, the writing system used by Mycenean bureaucrats, fell into disuse, and archaeological finds from Greece during this period are generally less advanced than before.

One popular theory is that Greece was invaded by the Dorians who destroyed many of the Mycenaean fortifications and palace complexes and settled in the area. This is based on the writings of ancient Greek historians themselves, including Herodotus who theorized that the exiled descendants of Heracles had returned. Other ancient scholars who mentioned the invasion include Diodorus and Apollodorus. However, the Dorian invasion theory has largely fallen out of favor with modern scholars.

The collapse of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece coincided with the broader Late Bronze Age collapse, which affected a large area of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the period spanning approximately from 1200 to 1150 BC witnessed the significant cultural decline of several prominent civilizations. During this time, the Kassites in Babylonia, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia and the Levant, and the New Kingdom of Egypt experienced a profound collapse in their respective cultures and societies. However, the reasons for this are also still hotly debated and remain a mystery.

What happened during the Greek Dark Ages?

The historical epoch which followed the Mycenaean civilization and its collapse in ancient Greece is another source of mysteries. The Greek Dark Ages, as they are referred to by historians, lasted between 1100 and 750 BC.

The Linear B written script used by the Mycenaeans was no longer used and the Greek alphabet was not invented until the Archaic Age which followed the Dark Ages, so little is known about this period owing to the lack of written sources.

According to Professor James Whitley, “Dark Age (or Early Iron Age) Greece was a period of great social diversity… Instead of Dark Age society, there were a number of Dark Age societies, which developed along quite different lines.”

Archaeological finds Dark Ages Greece
Archaeological finds from the Greek Dark Ages. Credit: Zde / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

This abundance of social diversity is reflected in the archaeological finds which indicate that there was a great degree of cultural regional differentiation. For example, pottery styles and burial practices differed considerably across the regions of Greece during this period.

One trend that is generally observable across the Greek world at this time is that social organization was simpler than in the preceding Mycenaean period. Gone were the bureaucratic organization and rigid social hierarchies of the Mycenaean palaces. Gone too were more complex artworks and architectural styles.

Instead, Dark Age Greeks largely lived in smaller agricultural or pastoral communities. Those not directly involved in food production wove baskets and made pottery. Urban centers were largely depopulated, with notable exceptions like Athens.

Was the Trojan War a historical event?

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are among the most important works in the Western literary canon. However, the historicity of the Trojan War, to which both works refer, is a matter of ongoing scholarly debate.

Some scholars argue that the Trojan War could be a historical event that has been embellished and mythologized over time. They suggest that there may have been a smaller-scale conflict or a series of raids between Mycenaean Greeks and the inhabitants of Troy. The actual details and magnitude of these events, however, remain uncertain.

Others contend that the Trojan War is purely a work of fiction and myth, created by ancient poets like Homer to convey moral, political, and cultural themes rather than recounting historical events.

Hisarlik Troy
Ruins at the Hisarlik archaeological site. Could these have been the walls of Troy? Credit: CherryX / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

The most compelling evidence for solving this ancient Greek mystery is the existence of an archaeological site at Hisarlik in modern-day Turkey discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870.

The prevailing view among many historians is that the city excavated at Hisarlik corresponds to the ancient Troy mentioned in Homer’s writings. It is widely accepted that a conflict or a series of conflicts did occur between the Mycenaean Greeks and the Anatolians at this location, taking place around 1180 B.C., marking the conclusion of the Late Bronze Age.

However, the extent to which the characters in the Iliad may have been based on real figures, the exact nature of the war – whether it was a major conflict or a series of small skirmishes – and the identity of the Trojans remains largely unknown.

What killed Alexander the Great?

The untimely death of Alexander the Great on June 10, 323 B.C. in Babylon has long been a topic of hot debate by historians. There are multiple hypotheses for his cause of death including infection, alcoholism, or murder.

According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine report of 1998, Alexander the Great probably died of typhoid fever, which, along with malaria, was common in ancient Babylon.

In the week before his death, historical accounts mention chills, sweats, exhaustion, and high fever, all typical symptoms of infectious diseases, including typhoid fever.

According to David W. Oldach from the University of Maryland Medical Center, Alexander also had “severe abdominal pain, causing him to cry out in agony.”

Alexander the Great
Statue of Alexander the Great in Thessaloniki. Credit: Alexander Gale / Greek Reporter

Another theory is proposed by New Zealand’s Katherine Hall, a senior lecturer at the Dunedin School of Medicine. One factor that has puzzled historians and scientists is that Alexander’s body did not decompose for six days after his death. However, Hall postulates that the body of Alexander was not decomposing because he was, in fact, still alive.

Her theory is that the great commander had contracted the neurological disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome from a common infection of the time.

Guillain-Barré is a neurological disorder causing paralysis throughout the body, something which could have affected his motor nerves.

“So Alexander could very well have been lying there, unable to move a muscle, and actually still be alive because they didn’t actually take pulses at that time to determine whether people were dead,” Hall states.

“My theory actually provides a rationale for why he did not decompose,” she says. “And that being, that he wasn’t actually dead yet.”

New Spike in Number of Migrant Arrivals Worry Greece

migrants crossing the Mediterranean
File photo: Migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean approached by the US Navy. Credit: US Navy / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Greece’s Immigration Minister expressed concern about the recent spike in the number of undocumented migrants arriving in the southern islands of Crete and Gavdos.

“The flow of migrants from eastern Libya is small, but with an increasing trend, which worries and concerns us, and that is why we are taking a series of initiatives to deal with this new front,” the Minister of Immigration and Asylum Dimitris Kairidis told SKAI on Wednesday.

He was speaking after a boat carrying 91 migrants reached Gavdos, a small island south of Crete and the southernmost Greek Island. A coast guard statement said the migrants, who were found on a beach on Gavdos island Tuesday, were being taken to reception areas on Crete.

They are believed to have set off from the coast of eastern Libya, about 170 nautical miles to the south. Their nationalities were not made public.

Local authorities on Gavdos and Crete say they are seeing a spike in the arrival of people attempting the long and dangerous crossing from Africa.

Gavdos, which lies some 27 nautical miles south of Crete, and Crete’s southern coastline have seen an increase in migrant arrivals in recent months. Over the past four weeks, about a dozen boats carrying more than 600 people in total made landfall in the area or were rescued offshore.

In several cases, the Greek coast guard said they had crossed the Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk, having paid smuggling gangs up to $5,000 each for their passage.

The influx has put pressure on authorities on Gavdos, a summer alternative tourism destination of about 29 square kilometers (11 square miles) in an area that has just a few dozen residents off-season.

The island’s mayor has written to government officials seeking extra funding to cover arriving migrants’ immediate needs for food and lodging before their transport to Crete.

Migrant numbers down in Greece’s Aegean Islands and Evros

In contrast to the spike in southern Greece, Kairidis said that the situation is much better in the eastern Aegean and the border with Turkey at Evros.

“The situation in the eastern Aegean is very good as we are down more than 75 percent from the highs of last September and in the last few days we have had almost no flow. At Evros, the flow has been reduced to zero,” the minister said.

Greece is a major arrival point for migrants seeking a better life in the European Union. For years, most headed for the eastern Aegean Sea islands near the Turkish mainland.

But increased Greek and European Union sea patrols in the area have prompted smuggling gangs to also seek alternative routes, including from Libya to southern Crete and from Turkey to Italy round the southern Greek mainland.

Greece Opens Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki for Eid Muslim Prayers

Yeni Mosque Muslim Prayers
The Mosque in Thessaloniki was turned into a museum. Credit: Ggia, CC BY-SA 3.0

The iconic Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki, Greece, will be open for the first time in more than 100 years for Muslim prayers during Eid al-Fitr on April 10, Greek authorities announced.

The Ottoman monument was built by Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli in 1902 for the city’s Dönmeh community, crypto-Jewish converts to Islam. .

After the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-22 and the Treaty of Lausanne, the Dönmeh along with the other Muslims living in Greece were “exchanged” with Christians in Turkey (i.e., Greece and Turkey agreed to take in each other’s religious refugees resulting from the terms of the treaty).

Muslim prayers at the Yeni Mosque after more than a century

Its minaret — like most minarets in Thessaloniki — was subsequently demolished. Christian refugees from Asia Minor lived inside the Yeni Mosque in 1924, after which time it became the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.

In its courtyard, there is a rich collection of marble sculptures from the Roman era and the early Christian period (sarcophagi, funerary monuments, reliefs, honorary and funerary columns) from all over Thessaloniki. Today it serves as an exhibition center and hosts various cultural activities.

Yeni Mosque Muslim Prayers
The interior of the Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki. Public Domain

Thessaloniki has several Ottoman buildings that represent part of the history of the second-largest Greek city.

Several mosques have been preserved, such as the Hamza Bey Camii of 1467 – 68, the Alaca Imaret Camii of 1484, the Yeni Camii of the early 20th century, as well as other public buildings, such as the Bay Hamam, an impressive double bath of the mid 15th century, an inn and some fountains in the upper city.

Greece opens Rhode’s Suleymaniye Mosque for prayers

Given the preparations for Ramadan, Greece has also decided to open the Suleymaniye Mosque on Rhodes for Eid prayers.

Suleymaniye Mosque on Rhodes
Suleymaniye Mosque on Rhodes. Credit: Dreizung , CC BY-SA 4.0

It was originally built after the Ottoman conquest of Rhodes in 1522 and is named after Sultan Suleiman to commemorate his conquest. The mosque was reconstructed in 1808 and has been restored several times since. It is the most significant surviving Ottoman-era monument in Rhodes.

In Attica, apart from the Athens Mosque in Votanikos, there are 15 licensed mosques. Unofficial ones are estimated at 55 to 60. There are some 300 mosques operating in Thrace, and one each in Kos, Rhodes, Thiva and Thessaloniki.

Muslim Greeks number about 125,000 and live primarily in Thrace. In Attica, Muslim refugees and migrants are estimated at 250,000.

Organizations in areas where there are no Muslim prayer spaces can apply to the local municipalities to be granted closed spaces on April 10.

The decision by Greek authorities to open the Mosques for Muslim prayers follows a period when relations with Turkey are improving follwing the visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Athens last December.

The Turkish President and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed a friendship declaration in a symbolic move that confirmed the warming of relations between the two nations.

Earlier this week Greece and Turkey reiterated their joint commitment to build on the existing positive momentum during a meeting of foreign ministry officials in Ankara.

Greece Gears Up for Revamped Olympic Flame-Lighting Ceremony

Olympic Flame Greece
The redesigned costumes for the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony. Credit: Hellenic Olympic Committee

The Olympic flame-lighting ceremony at Ancient Olympia next month, starting the Olympic Torch Relay that will usher in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is to feature several changes, including a new High Priestess, redesigned costumes and a new composer.

The changes were showcased at a grand event held at the Hellenic Olympic Committee on Tuesday, where the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) presented High Priestess Mary Mina and new ceremonies’ composer Dimitris Papadimitriou, as well as the new black-and-white robes that will be worn by the priestesses in the revamped ceremony.

In addition, six male and female athletes modeled the new Team Greece outfits prepared by the company 4F for the Paris Games.

HOC President Spyros Capralos kicked off the evening by thanking the sponsors for their support, which had allowed Greece to assist more than 200 athletes in preparing for the Olympics.

The president of the HOC Olympic Torch Relay Committee Thanassis Vassiliadis then presented the ceremony’s new High priestess, award-winning actress Mary Mina, and internationally acclaimed composer Dimitris Papadimitriou, while announcing the rest of the team involved in the ceremony, including presenter Nikos Aliagas, soprano Joyce DiDonato, choreographer Artemis Ignatiou, soprano Myrsini Margariti, tenor Babis Velissarios, artistic director Fokas Evaggelinos, the ERT musical ensembles and choir, children’s choirs, the women’s choir Chores and WolvesTeam.

The HOC also paid homage to the previous High Priestess, Xanthi Georgiou, as well as the previous composer and costume designer, Yiannis Psimadas and Eleni Kyriakou, respectively.

The new costumes, inspired by ancient Greece and designed by Mary Katrantzou, were then presented through a performance involving two priestesses and a kouros.

Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony will take place on April 16

The Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony will take place on April 16, with Mina using the traditional curved mirror to light the Olympic Torch using the sun’s rays.

The High Priestess will then deliver the Olympic Flame to the first runner in the Torch Relay, rowing Olympic medalist Stefanos Douskos, at the edge of the ancient stadium in Olympia, kicking off the 11-day relay in Greece.

The Olympic Flame will be handed over to the organizers of the Paris Games on April 26, in Athens, spend the night in the French Embassy and then depart for France on the ship “Belem” the following day.

The ship is due to arrive in the port of Marseille on May 8, where the French section of the Torch Relay will begin, lasting 68 days until it culminates in the lighting of the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games on July 26.

Today’s Greeks Are Like Those of 2,000 BC, DNA Study Shows

Mycenaean death mask
A gold Mycenaean death mask. Credit: Sharon Mollerus / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

A recent anthropological DNA investigation indicated that modern Greeks are genetically very close to those who lived more than 4,000 years ago.

The findings of the project, which sequenced the genes of ancient populations, were published in the scientific journal “Cell” recently.

Findings from the Early Bronze Age

The anthropological DNA research uncovered genetic information from the Early Bronze Age, which was approximately 5,000 years ago.

The research was led by Dr. Christina Papageorgopoulou of the Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace and Dr. Anna-Sappho Malaspina of the Department of Computational Biology of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Other scholars from many other higher education institutions were involved as well, including the University of Democritus, Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, and the Aegean University. Researchers associated with the Ephorates of Antiquities of both Kozani and Florina were also a part of the wide-ranging project.

The study involved the sequencing of entire genomes from skeletons found around Greece. The researchers examined four Early Bronze Age skeletons and two Middle Bronze Age skeletons.

Genetic information from eleven other Early Bronze Age individuals was also analyzed in a historic first for anthropological DNA research into complete genomes from Greece.

Overcoming scientific challenges due to the natural decay of such old genetic material, researchers were nevertheless able to discover that Early Bronze Age populations were  genetically quite homogenous.

These findings show that amazing technological advances in Greek society during the Early Bronze Age, such as urban development, metallurgy, and increased trade, were not only due to migration from the East into Greece.

Although this has been the prevailing belief up until now, this new anthropological DNA research shows that many of these critical developments came from within the local Aegean populations.

The data seems to show that people who migrated from the East made up only a small percentage of the Aegean’s Early Bronze Age populations. Minoans from Crete, mainland Greeks, and Cycladic Greeks all shared very similar DNA during the Early Bronze Age.

Anthropological DNA research pegs Middle Bronze Age Greeks

However, by the Middle Bronze Age, migration from the East became significant enough to cause DNA to differ significantly in comparison to Early Bronze Age Greeks.

During the Middle Bronze Age, which began about 4,000 years ago, Greeks of the Aegean shared around half of their DNA with people from the Ponto-Caspian Steppe. This is an area which encompassed the Danube and Ural Rivers, as well as part of the Black Sea, forming part of modern-day Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.

These findings show that today’s Greeks are extremely genetically similar to their Middle Bronze Age counterparts. They also support other theories surrounding waves of migration from the East and their impact on Greek society.

These waves of migration preceded the formation of early forms of the Greek language, supporting current theories surrounding language formation. The dominant theory shared by scholars is that the emergence of the Proto-Greek language was connected to the evolution of Indo-European languages in the Ponto-Caspian Steppe.

20% of Alcoholic Beverages in Greece are Illegal or Adulterated

Alcoholic Beverages Greece
Bulk illegal tsipouro and similar spirits are not included in the survey. Credit: Klearchos Kapoutsis/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0

One in five alcoholic beverages consumed in Greece is adulterated and contraband, which is twice the world average, the Association of Alcoholic Beverage Companies (ENEAP) said on Wednesday.

Adulterated alcoholic beverages are legal alcoholic products that have been illicitly tampered with, for instance, by criminally diluting them with water, purposely putting them into new containers to conceal their true origin, or adding toxic substances to manipulate the quality of the alcoholic beverages.

ENEAP says that illegal products exceed 20 percent of the domestic consumption of alcoholic beverages when international organizations calculate the average in the world market at 11 percent.

This percentage does not include bulk illegal tsipouro and similar spirits circulating in the Greek market.

High tax on alcoholic beverages in Greece

ENEAP, says that the problem in Greece stems from the VAT on alcoholic beverages, which is the fourth highest in the European Union and the highest based on purchasing power.

In addition, the VAT rate in Greece is higher compared to the neighboring countries. In Greece, it is 4.6 times higher compared to North Macedonia and 4.5 times compared to Bulgaria.

Greek consumers, especially in the northern part of the country, cross the borders to purchase alcoholic beverages of dubious quality, often adulterated. The illegal trade flourishes, ENEAP says, affecting the market, public health, and government revenue.

According to the World Health Organization, illegally produced alcohol accounted for a quarter of all alcohol consumed in 2014 globally. But despite more than 144 countries having formal licensing policies, counterfeiters have infiltrated the industry, and the result is a flood of tainted and adulterated spirits at bars, retail stores, and resorts.

Tainted, adulterated, and counterfeit alcohol has been responsible for hundreds of deaths globally.

Would a tax decrease help?

The Association calls for a reduction of the VAT on alcoholic beverages, arguing that this measure will have multiple benefits for the economy and for consumers as well as for businesses.

It estimates that the reduction in VAT will lead to an increase in sales of legal products by approximately 10 percent until 2026, a boost to GDP by approximately 325 million euros in the period 2024 to 2026, an increase in employment throughout the alcoholic beverage supply chain by 11.3 thousand full-time jobs, and expansion of domestic production by 10 percent over three years.

According to a recent study by IOBE (2024), the total losses of tax revenue from the illegal trade in alcoholic beverages amount to approximately 70 million euros.

Tax revenue losses may be significantly higher, as the bulk of illegally trafficked liquor is channeled into the local market, where VAT revenue is significantly higher.

Regarding the product distilled by two-day distillers (bulk tsipouro), the losses from VAT are estimated at up to 90 million euros, as this particular product, taking advantage of the low taxation regime, is channeled into the market in multiple quantities (either without being declared, or from illegal distilleries) for commercial use.

Treat Yourself With Bread From Ancient Greece

Bread Ancient Greece
Woman kneading bread, c. 500–475 BC, National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Credit: Marsyas, CC BY-SA 2.5

Modern chefs have been recreating bread from ancient Greece that has been intricately woven into human history for thousands of years.

Bread, one of the oldest foods, started being prepared as a dish in ancient Egypt, coinciding with the rise of civilization. Egypt, with its abundant wheat fields, played a pivotal role in this.

Herodotus noted that, in ancient Egypt, bread was kneaded with the feet, a practice that persisted into the early 20th century in many regions of Greece and Europe.

Greek sailors and traders brought Egyptian flour to Greece, where the creation and baking of bread became an art form.

The bread held symbolic and ritualistic significance. It was often associated with religious ceremonies and considered a divine gift. Ancient texts reveal the Greeks offered bread to the gods, calling them “divine loaves.”

The profound connection to wheat and bread is underscored by the Greeks’ reverence for the goddess Demeter. During the Thesmophoria festival in Eleusis, large loaves were offered at her temple.

The craft of making bread was mastered in ancient Greece

Ancient Greek bakers mastered the craft, using simple ingredients such as wheat, barley, flour, water, salt, and, at times, olive oil or honey. Skilled bakers were highly respected in society, and breadmaking techniques evolved over time, influenced by other civilizations.

The ancient Greeks became so skilled at breadmaking that, by 400 B.C., they had come up with around 72 different types of bread. Competitions were held to see which bakery could produce the best bread, with Athens becoming well-known for its loaves. Athens boasted about Theario, its finest baker, whose name appeared in the writings of many authors.

Lynceus of Samos, a classical author of comedies who lived in the 3rd or 4th century BC, said in a letter that: “The Athenians talk a great deal about their bread, which can be got in the market, but the Rhodians put loaves on the table which are not inferior to all of them.”

The bread was made of flour ground in household mills and baked at home. The first bakeries appeared much later around the 2nd century B.C. during Roman rule.

Among the various types of bread, there were zymitis (leavened), azymos (unleavened), and simigdalitis (made of fine flour from quality wheat).

Hippocrates mentioned various bread types made from wheat flour, sifted or not, with or without leaven, with bran, semolina, honey and cheese, oil, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds. The rarity of wheat and its high nutritional value meant that wheat bread was consumed primarily by high-status individuals, while the common people consumed barley bread.

Athenaeus, a 2nd to 3rd century AD grammatist, names a long list of various breads in The Deipnosophistae (dinner table philosophers), sometimes called the oldest surviving cookbook, that underlines the importance of bread in ancient Greek life.

The artolaganon: the famous bread of ancient Greece

The artolaganon was one of these breads. The recipe of the artolaganon comes from a book about baking, unfortunately not survived, written by Chrysippus of Tyana.

Artolaganon means laganon bread (artos is bread in Greek). Laganon appears frequently in both Greek and Roman sources. Hesychius, a Greek grammarian who lived in the 5th century, describes it as a circular sheet of dough made of water and white wheat flour, dried and fried in olive oil. Athenaeus confirms the shape of the laganon, adding that it is thin.

Modern cooks have been recreating this ancient Greek bread. For example, the blog Historical Italian Cooking demonstrated its preparation and baking in the following video:

Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) also mentions artolaganon, “bread cake,” which is prepared with milk, pepper, wine, and lard or oil. There is no mention of the leavening agent, yeast, or sourdough.

Today, the ancient art of breadmaking lives on in Greece. Traditional bakeries throughout the country proudly preserve centuries-old recipes and techniques. Greek bread, known for its rustic crust and soft interior, remains a beloved staple in Greek cuisine.

The legacy of breadmaking in Greece showcases culinary ingenuity and reflects the cultural significance and mythological ties that have shaped Greek society for millennia.

Related: Archaeologists Discover 8,600-Year-Old Bread in Turkey

Near Misses Show Problems in Greek Railways a Year After Tempe Disaster

Relatives and friends of the Greek railway disaster lay flowers at the site
Relatives of the 57 victims lay flowers at Tempe, the site of the Greek railway disaster. File photo. Credit: AMNA

The Greek railways safety issue surfaced once again when a suburban train in Athens ran a red light on Saturday, putting hundreds of passengers in danger a year after the Tempe disaster.

In addition to Saturday’s near miss, railway authorities have encountered 567 train malfunctions in the past eleven months. Furthermore, dozens of train crossings across Greece remain unguarded, adding to the problems faced by the two main railway operators.

The Hellenic Trains Organization (OSE) and Hellenic Train SA, the private company that operates passenger and freight trains in Greece, are marred by continuous incidents that have thousands of passengers doubting the safety of railway travel in the country.

A few days prior to Saturday’s incident, local media in Larissa showed security camera images accompanied by a deafening noise and a flash when a train passed by the area of Karagatsi Street in Larissa. The incident is being investigated.

Α video posted on YouTube two weeks ago on the one-year anniversary of the tragic collision at Tempe shows a freight train stopping at a crossing while the driver opens the cabin door to see if there are cars approaching.

So far, OSE and Hellenic Train seem to be failing to agree on a strategy to make Greek railways safe for travel. The pertinent Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport appears to have failed to impose order on the Greek railway system as well.

Meanwhile, the relationship between state-owned OSE and Italian-owned Hellenic Train seems to be rocky. It is a problem that became evident in the aftermath of the Tempe railway disaster. The two sides do not assume any responsibility regarding the accident.

On Monday, in a meeting between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and all agencies and organizations involved, political authorities requested that OSE and Hellenic Train commit to continuous and close cooperation in all issues related to railway safety and strict compliance with the General Traffic Regulation throughout the Greek railway network.

EU investigation in a tangle

The ongoing investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) on the Tempe tragedy shows that the issue of Greek railway safety is in a twenty-year tangle, showing Greece’s insufficient investment planning and the European Commission’s lax monitoring mechanisms.

Two key projects, namely the installation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) and  the upgrade of the communication and signaling system on trains, both meant to ensure railway safety, have not been implemented.

The first project should have been completed in the 2000 to 2006 period while the second was to have been completed between 2000 and 2013. Both projects were based on digital technology in order to avoid human error, such as was the case with the Tempe disaster that cost the nation fifty-seven lives.

Neither has been completed, even though the European Commission had been pressuring for their implementation for years.

In 2014, a new contract was signed under a New Democracy/PASOK government, the 717/2014 contract for the upgrade of the signaling system on Greek trains and remote control operation. The project was supposed to have been completed by 2016.

It included the construction of fifty-two stations and three remote control centers for the Greek railway system from Athens to Thessaloniki and Promachonas. Remote control is critical because without the ETCS control system, which automatically brakes trains if they exceed a set speed or detect a serious problem, it cannot function.

However, the contract had technical ambiguities and loopholes and stalled. In January 2015, Greece had a new government, the leftist SYRIZA, and the signing of a new MoU for Greece’s bailout. The stalled project went to the court of auditors.

According to Euractiv, the court ruled in 2018 that a supplementary contract was needed,  raising the costs by €13.3 million while the initial amount was €42 million. SYRIZA claims it delivered a contract without any legal hurdles and the project was seventy percent complete.

The European Commission pushes for railway project completion

The supplementary contract was ready in 2018, but in the 2019 national election, the New Democracy party came to power and did not sign the contract until 2021.

In June 2021, the European Commission sent a letter to the Greek government explicitly saying that the two projects had been co-financed by the EU but were never implemented. There was also a warning that Greece would be subject to a “financial correction” of almost €18 million.

The Greek government reacted, saying that efforts are made for the projects to be finalized and that the “financial correction” amount was unjust considering the amounts of national resources invested in the two projects. The European Commission was not convinced and asked for a hearing so that the Greek government could explain the delays.

Athens claims the project is in the execution process. The end date for expenditure eligibility for the EU co-funded projects implemented under the 2014 to 2020 programming period was December 31, 2023.

The Greek railway disaster brought to the surface the 717/2014 contract that was never implemented. EPPO is currently investigating the contract to determine if there are financial damages to EU interests.