Ios News

The Aegean island of Ios in the Cyclades was among six European locations awarded the European Union Cultural Heritage prize for 2008 for its exceptional conservation efforts at the archaeological site of Skarkos on the island. The six winners for the awards, announced on Thursday, were chosen among 109 candidates from 29 countries.

Apart from Ios, prizes were also awarded to two projects in the Netherlands, and one each in the Czech Republic, Spain and Romania. Each prize is worth 10,000 euros.

The prizes are given as recognition of outstanding conservation, research and education efforts and are awarded jointly by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation of Cultural Heritage. They will be presented at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on 12 June 2008 in Durham Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

According to an EU press release, the award to Ios was given for the "outstanding quality of conservation work and above all the minimal and extremely sensitive character of the interventions, having no detrimental impact on a unique landscape."