The Archaeological Site of Elis was officially demarcated in 1991 and declared a protected area under a special legal regime. According to the provisions of this designation, any form of work or intervention within the defined boundaries is permitted only after obtaining prior approval from the competent Ephorate of Antiquities (formerly the 7th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, today the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis), to which all relevant applications must be duly submitted.

Almost a decade later, a new Ministerial Decision (Government Gazette 597/Δ/17-7-2002) was issued, supplementing the original designation of 1991 and establishing two Protection Zones governing the preservation of monuments and land use: Zone A and Zone B.

Zone A encompasses the core of the Archaeological Site of Elis, where the majority of visible monuments are preserved. Within this zone, all construction is strictly prohibited. Only light ploughing and limited agricultural activities are permitted, provided that the interested party has previously submitted an application to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis. Each request is carefully reviewed, and approval is granted or denied following an assessment of the proposed intervention’s impact.

Zone B, from which the legally established settlements of Kalyvia and Nea Elis (Galoupi) are excluded, allows construction but under strict conditions and special restrictions, and only after the issuance of an official permit. Any activity within this zone is permitted solely on the condition that it complies with the provisions of the Greek Antiquities Law (Law 3028/2002) and is subject to the prior approval and supervision of the Archaeological Service.

For further information, as well as a detailed visual representation of the designated protection boundaries, you may consult the official designation of the Archaeological Site of Elis via the interactive digital map available on the <strong>Archaeological Cadastre</strong> platform.