January 2012
The National Strategic Reference Framework has approved the funding of the restoration of the ancient theater at Aptera. The restoration project will begin in the next few months as full funding had been secured. On a statement to the local press Mr.Apostolos Voulgarakis the Greek council represetaive on the island of Crete said that "It's an important project with a budget of 3 million Euros and I think it will promote and highlight the archaeological areas of Chania. 

Source: Chaniotika Nea

April 2008

The Greek Ministry of culture has published a leaflet on the ancient city of Aptera. The leaflet is in Greek as well as in English and it is available free of charge from the archaeology guard by the main entrance to the ancient site (By the monastery). The English version of the leaflet is available on the multimedia section of the website.

July 2006

Just a hundred meters south-west from where Saint John’s monastery stands lies a treasure unseen by many for centuries, hidden under a few feet of soil.  Only a few have heard about it and even fewer have seen it. From today, I belong to the few who have had the privilege of being there, seeing it, touching it, admiring it.

All the credit goes to archaeologist Mrs. Maria Adreadaki Vlazaki and her team who, with very limited resources, have recently began excavating the plot where the theater was pinpointed by the elderly of the village, as well as old maps and manuscripts.

Currently just two of the top rows of the theater have been unearthed. Some small but precise digs have also been made to the lower part of the theater to establish the perimeter and its scale.

A significant number of ancient curved stones have been removed from the site over the centuries. However, all this is about to change now thanks to Mrs. Maria Adreadaki Vlazaki and her team. Sources close to the editor said that Mrs. Vlazaki is trying to secure the funds for the whole excavation of the site from the Greek ministry of Culture and the European Union.

I will closely follow the progress of the excavations and I will update you as new findings come to light.

March 2006

Australia's top magazine of ancient history and archaeology, Archaeological Diggings, will publish on its April issue an article on the ancient city of Aptera. The magazine will be available for purchase from the 1stof April in Australia and from the 1st of June in the USA.

For more information on obtaining a copy, please  follow the link bellow:
Archaeological Diggings