The idea of documenting Greek heritage has existed for many years, but under different titles and approaches — “Escape Greece,” “Via Egnatia,” “Silk Roads,” “Greek Cultural Routes” — mostly focused on the Greek territory.
Since 2020, the concept of recording all Greek monuments worldwide has matured. We have already documented hundreds of Greek monuments, ancient and Byzantine, in Istanbul, Italy, the coasts of Asia Minor and the Black Sea, Albania, North Macedonia, and beyond.
This project, under the general title THE GREEK HERITAGE, aims to research and document Greek monuments located in archaeological sites, museums, and collections. It is not merely a photographic record, but a contemporary artistic documentation with panoramic and aerial shots, short films, 360° photos and videos designed for virtual tours.
Gradually, a comprehensive database will be created — a vast Greek archive with tens of thousands of photographs and videos, a virtual panorama of ancient and Byzantine civilization. At the same time, through collaborations with universities in Greece and abroad, we aim to begin the scholarly documentation of this material. We envision this multidisciplinary archaeological data bank becoming an educational tool for universities worldwide with Greek culture as an academic field.
Soon, the contemporary documentation of Greek Heritage will be presented to the public through the dedicated travel and cultural portal www.thegreekheritage.com, featuring digital applications, publications, and exhibitions in Greece and abroad — with multiple benefits for our country and culture.
Giannis Zarzonis
