Climate Change and Heritage Management; the case study of the ancient Greek theatre of Lindos in Rhodes, Dodecanese

Abstract

The importance of heritage during the current times of transition to the technological progress has recently obtained much attention, especially for the risks of degradation related with the climate change. This research distinguishes the ancient Greek theatre as an instance of heritage, because it has heritage values, such as architecture, knowledge, archaeological virtue, integrity and authenticity of the whole structure and it combines nature with culture. This heritage type shows important contribution to the global cultural diversity. The special case study is the open theatre of Lindos, located in Rhodes, Dodecanese. The sea, the vicinity with the coasts and the archaeological value of the city of Lindos are the fundamental factors for the management plan of adaptation and mitigation at the era of climate change. Thus, in this study we collected climatological data of temperature, humidity and precipitation by the meteorological station of Rhodes (Hellenic National Meteorological Service) to examine the course of the measurements and the tendencies to threating factors. These data can be combined with the extreme weather phenomena of the region to discover the vulnerability and the resilience of the case study for the adequate management plan.