After the Acropolis missed out at the weekend on being named one of the new seven wonders of the world, Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis hit out at the initiative yesterday by questioning the value of the ballot.

“Monuments do not have to parade on a podium like in a beauty contest,” said the minister.

The private initiative, voted on by 100 million people around the world by Internet or phone ahead of a huge ceremony on Saturday in Portugal, “has nothing to do with the true value of monuments,” Voulgarakis said.

The Great Wall of China, India’s Taj Mahal, the centuries-old ruins of Petra in Jordan and the Colosseum in Rome, were among those chosen by voters.

Meanwhile, Voulgarakis also announced yesterday fresh plans to combat the multimillion-dollar international trade in stolen and fake antiques. The government will introduce legislation later this month to ensure closer cooperation between archaeologists and the police to combat the illegal trade.