Two new buildings under construction near the Acropolis have caused a public outrage because their height has already blocked some views of the ancient Greek monument.

The two ten-story hotels under construction are near the Acropolis Museum in the Koukaki neighborhood. Their thirty-meter height has already obscured views of the hill of the Acropolis.

Both hotels are within the broader archaeological area of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the World Heritage monuments which are the ultimate symbols of Greece itself.

According to the Avaaz petition platform, so far over 10,000 area residents and others have signed a petition to block further construction work. The Greek Ministry of Culture will now be forced to take a stand on the development.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy, which is responsible for urban planning and for granting construction permits, also reacted after the complaints and petition. General Director of Urban Planning Dora Galani has set up a four-member working group to review the building permit regulations in the area in order to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

The group will work in cooperation with representatives from the Ministry of Culture and the City of Athens. 

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