by Natasha Pavlopoulou

ATHENS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua)-- Across Greece, a series of events dedicated to the August full moon, offered residents and tourists the chance to enjoy a romantic evening at 132 archaeological sites, monuments and museums.

The events, all of them free of charge, started on Aug. 24 and concluded on Aug. 26, the night of the full moon.

Special events, including concerts, dance performances, movie screenings, theatrical shows and guided tours have been held in a total of 95 sites.

The Acropolis Museum stayed open until midnight with musical performances by the City of Athens Philharmonic Orchestra in classic melodies from the Greek cinema, while the National Archaeological Museum organized a free archaeologist discussion, theatrical lecture and a musical event.

At the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, 70 km southeast of Athens, well known Greek composer Giorgos Andreou played the piano under the bright night sky, with Yiannis Kotsiras and Korina Legaki on vocals.

Other museums across the country that celebrated the full moon of August are on the islands of Paros, Mykonos, Sifnos, Naxos, Milos, and Tinos, among others, while a special show was also held at the Byzantine Castle of Mystras, in the Peloponnese region, in southern Greece.

A summer tradition in Greece since 2002, the August Full Moon events are organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and this year coincided with the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Last year the celebration of full moon attracted more than 75,000 visitors at 115 archaeological sites and monuments all over the country.