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The sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona, the oldest oracle in Greece, is currently threatened by highway construction.

It was from an oak in Zeus's sacred grove at Dodona that the prow of Jason's ship was built in the myth of the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece.

Because the god was said to deliver his oracular pronouncements in the sound of rustling oak leaves, it was only natural that this mythological ship timber had the power of speaking and prophesying.

Dodona today is a picturesque and peaceful site in a valley of mountainous Epirus in northwestern Greece. The Greek government had originally planned a major trucking route to pass within a half mile of the sanctuary and its ancient theater, where performances are still given today.

Protests resulted in a revised plan to tunnel under the vicinity of the site. But pollution is still a serious threat.

To ensure the preservation of this priceless cultural heritage, a local group known as the Friends of Dodona is lobbying for the site to be included in an international registry of protected sites maintained by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOM).

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