ATHENS: The city of Athens declared four days of mourning for Greek

actress and Culture Minister Melina Mercouri, who died in New York at

the weekend, and ordered the giant blue-and-white flag on the Acropolis

to fly at half-mast. Athenians turned the entrance to the Culture

Ministry into a shrine with flowers, candles, and poems under a large

picture of Mercouri. ''All Greek people mourn,'' said Socialist Prime

Minister Andreas Papandreou, an old friend of the actress-politician.

Her body will be met with full honours at Athens airport today and will

be on view at the Athens Cathedral, where thousands are expected to pay

their last respects. The funeral will be held on Thursday.