Acropolis to open for August full moon, after Greek officials solve dispute with guards

Acropolis open for full moon as pay dispute solved

ATHENS, Greece — Greek officials say the Acropolis in Athens will open on the night of the August full moon Tuesday after a pay dispute with security guards has been resolved.

The culture and tourism ministry says the citadel will be among more than 90 sites and museums to open by moonlight on the one night a year the public can enter monuments after sundown.

Initially, the ministry had left the Acropolis off the list, for the first time in years, citing the dispute over guards’ pay for the nighttime work.

But the guards’ union backed down Monday, saying they would donate their wages to charity.

The government has imposed harsh austerity measures to fight a debt crisis.

The Acropolis, with its 2,500-year-old marble temples, is Greece’s most popular ancient site.