Abstract
This thesis has is concerned with the effects of the economic crisis on the cultural heritage in Central Macedonia, Greece. The region of Central Macedonia has been provided with EU funding (NSRF) and there has been made a quantitative statistical analysis of the funding provided for Culture and Tourism. The data and results that this analysis has gathered, has shown that the funding does not lie within the EU (NSRF) funding program. There has been argued that the Greek cultural heritage in the region is not as affected by the crisis as archaeologists are claiming and portraying in the media. What this thesis is claiming, is that the cultural heritage system in Greece is not functioning and following its guidelines, but is under an influence of favoritism. Greece is managing the implementation of the EU funding, and as the quantitative analysis is showing, is funding the byzantine-era monuments on Mount Athos. These monuments do not contribute to the, much needed, income in the region. The EU (NSRF) program clearly states that the funding needs to contribute for the economic growth of the region – which this thesis has argued – it is mainly not. Therefore, most of the funding is provided for monuments that does not contribute to economic growth and projects that does not lie within the EU (NSRF) program.