NAXOS, GREECE — November 7, 2025 — For over 2,500 years, the Temple of Apollo, or Portara as it is colloquially known, has greeted travelers sailing into the island of Naxos; its existence as remains of an unfinished temple to the god Apollo gives evidence to the rich history of the island, centuries later. While the temple has generally been left unscathed by the public, it recently became the center of controversy when, in early August, a photo displaying a tourist lifting a marble fragment at the monument circulated throughout the internet. What began as a simple post on social media soon prompted outrage across the country and culminated in an urgent call to protect the site, and others like it, from further harm.
Within days of this incident, work crews were sent by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades under Greece’s Ministry of Culture with the mission to install a temporary barrier bordering the temple. According to local authorities, many who lived on the island opposed this addition, arguing that the sudden fencing disrupted the Portara’s open character, but the Ministry of Culture had the final say, and a fence was hastily added.
Others, like Michael Chatzopoulos, a property manager based in Naxos Town, believe that the monument should have been protected all along: “Generally, in Greece, because we have a lot of monuments, and most are protected…The Portara was not; it had just a small row of fencing. For such a monument, it should be better secured.”
Either way, the fence that appeared in early August shocked the majority of locals. The structure was tall, metallic, and visually unpleasant, cutting off the gorgeous sunset views that made the Portara such a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. “The big fence was awful,” Chatzopoulos recalled. “They shouldn’t have placed it at all. It would have been better to have personnel there just to watch. People came to enjoy the view, and instead they saw this huge fence. We were not proud of that.”
Following this, the situation escalated quickly. Naxos’ municipal authorities claimed they had not been properly notified about the installation and moved to halt the work. In a theatrical scene, local police even briefly detained the construction crew, claiming that they did not have permission to put up the fence, though this was quickly stopped when it was made clear that they had official authorization from the Ministry of Culture.
According to Ekathimerini, a local court later ruled that the temporary barrier could remain until September 27, 2025, giving time for a permanent, more discreet fence to be designed. This permanent version was completed and installed in late September, and is smaller and more natural in appearance. “Now, if you visit, it’s a small fence, which is normal,” Chatzopoulos said. “It’s what we would expect to have.”
This is not the only instance of a change in appearance for famous monuments in Greece: In an ironic timing, just as the Portara was being fenced off, the Parthenon in Athens was finally revealed without scaffolding for the first time in years, for a limited time before new, more aesthetically pleasing scaffolding will be erected to continue the final phase of restoration. Such a juxtaposition clearly reflects the challenges in protecting the rich and expansive cultural heritage of Greece, a constant balancing act between accessibility and preservation.
For those in Naxos, while the dust may have settled on the Portara story, larger questions loom, centering around how a country so rich in ancient heritage can protect its treasures without cutting people off from them. And how can communities honor their past while welcoming the millions who come to admire it?
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