It was revealed on Monday that the archaeological site of Philippi in northern Greece will be a candidate to become one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. UNESCO’s World Heritage List includes archaeological sites and monuments of special cultural or physical significance to the common heritage of humanity. The sites are selected based on certain criteria. For example if a site is recognized as an outstanding example representing major stages of earth’s history or as a masterpiece of human creative genius. Therefore the archaeological site of Philippi is undoubtedly worthy of a place on UNESCO’s list. “The area of Philippi hosts a series of archaeological monuments, witnesses to a long historical path during which civilizations intersected and developed,” writes UNESCO’s official site. Philippi was established in 356 BC by the king of Macedon, Philip II, on the site of the Thasian colony of Crenides, near the head of the Aegean Sea. Centuries later, it was abandoned after the Ottoman conquest (14th century). The present municipality of Filippoi is located near the ancient city’s ruins and it is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace in Kavala, Greece. The ancient city is currently the most important archaeological site in the region. The first excavations did not begin until the summer of 1914,and were soon interrupted by World War I. Between 1920 and 1937, archaeologists unearthed the Greek theatre, the forum, the baths and the city walls. After World War II, Greek archaeologists returned to the site, uncovering multiple public buildings.
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