By Tassoula Karaiskaki

The medieval city of Rhodes is being placed under the protective umbrella of technology as part of a European project coordinated by Greece called Hyperion, which seek to shield antiquities and monuments from the elements, including heat waves, strong winds, severe storms, soil erosion, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and fires.

Action in Rhodes is needed urgently as the ancient and medieval city has suffered damage through the passage of time as well as seismic activity. The ancient city was founded in 408 BC while the medieval part, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, developed around the citadel fortress.

Hyperion deploys early warning devices for earthquakes and tsunamis, accelerometers, satellites, meteorological stations, pollution sensors, drones collecting data for natural disaster scenarios and more.

The project was awarded the Laureate 1st Level in the environmental competition EcoWorld-2021.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.