Restoring the Ruin

The ancient Greeks took only eight or nine years to build the Parthenon. Its modern restorers, led by Greek architect Manolis Korres, have already taken over 30 years and nearly $90 million to repair and restore it, and their work may not be complete until 2020. Why so much time, money, and effort? Well, imagine trying to assemble a 100,000-ton, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle with 70,000 individual pieces. That's the task Korres and his colleagues have set themselves, and they are doing it with the greatest care and sensitivity, striving to strike the right balance between putting it back together and leaving it the majestic ruin it is. In this slide show, see the extraordinary lengths to which the Acropolis Restoration Project team is going—as well as the perhaps surprising degree to which they rely on ancient Greek techniques.—Gary Glassman

Gary Glassman wrote and produced "Secrets of the Parthenon."

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