Knossos: dispute over cleanliness

A public dispute over the state of the toilets at the archaeological site of Knossos unfolded on Wednesday 19 August, with the two sides giving entirely different readings of the issue. The KKE MP for Heraklion, Manolis Syntychakis, spoke of “chronic shortcomings and degradation of the archaeological site”, placing the problem of the sanitary facilities within a broader framework of understaffing and inadequate maintenance. On the other side, the contractor Vasilis Saloustros replied publicly that cleaning those particular facilities is not a contractual obligation of his, shifting the question to the content of the contract and to the terms set by the contracting authority. Cretalive published photographs taken before and after cleaners intervened in the facilities.

The two statements do not cancel one another out: the first concerns the adequacy of state provision for the site, the second concerns who bears responsibility according to the contract documents. The question that remains open is precisely that, namely to whom the responsibility for cleaning the site’s toilets belongs, to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion as the managing body or to the contractor who operates services within the archaeological site. So far no statement from the Ephorate of Antiquities or the Ministry of Culture clarifying the content of the contract has been made public. The issue is not a new one, since the departure and return of the cleaning staff had already been a matter of concern at the site in previous days, following an intervention by tourism bodies of Knossos and of the prefecture.

Knossos is the busiest archaeological site in Crete and one of the most visited in the country, with the flow of visitors peaking precisely in August, when cruise traffic, organised excursions and individual travellers combine. In these conditions, the visitor facilities — toilets, shade, water points and waiting areas — largely determine the experience of a visit, especially at the hours when the temperature at the site rises significantly. Tourism professionals in Heraklion have repeatedly linked these issues to the image of the destination, since Knossos serves as the first point of contact for thousands of visitors with Minoan Crete.

How the case develops depends on whether an official answer is given as to who takes on the cleaning of the facilities on a permanent basis and at what cost. The MP has framed the issue as a political one, linking it to the staffing of archaeological sites, while the contractor’s side presents it as a matter of interpreting the contract. It has not been announced whether an amendment to the contractual terms or the hiring of additional staff for the rest of the tourist season is planned. The practical question for the visitor remains the same until the institutional one is answered: whether the site’s toilets will be kept clean during the busiest days of August and September.