The Macedonian Tomb in the Amphipolis of Serres, one of the most important burial monuments, opened its gates to visitors today after several years of excavations.

The camera of SKAI entered the Tomb and recorded the evocative images that we will see.

Imposing and awe-inspiring to anyone who approaches it, the burial monument of Kasta welcomes its visitors from today after several decades of excavations.

The Macedonian Tomb outside the Amphipolis of Serres is one of the largest and best preserved ever discovered.

As Dimitra Malamidou, Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres, explains, it is a pilot visit program of the monument, for special groups of the public.

By the term special groups, we refer to agencies, local government officials, teachers and researchers of all levels and people who are active in the field of tourism locally, in the regional community of Serres, as he explains.

From today, the burial monument will be able to be visited by strictly small groups of specialist scientists and tourism professionals from the region. Their guided tour will last 60 minutes.

Built at the base of the hill it was barely visible. The monumental entrance led to the descent directly below the imposing sphinxes.

In the burial chamber where five skeletons of different eras were found, there is a marble decoration similar to that which prominent citizens and soldiers of the Hellenistic era had in their mansions.

The dead and their offerings were placed in the burial chamber.

In its center, under the floor there is a box-shaped tomb which was closed.

In this chamber, other dead members of the same family were buried periodically and in later phases.

This happens in the Macedonian tombs, they are family tombs.

The monument of Amphipolis, which in the past has aroused the lively interest of the world archaeological community, will be fully accessible to visitors in 2027, as a series of important infrastructure projects will have to be completed by then.

The entire monument was made of marble brought from Thassos.

In the first chamber, the caryatids dominate over the famous mosaic with the abduction of Persephone.

“Fully open to the public, as Ms. Mendoni announced, we estimate that it will be at the end of the next NSRP, i.e. around the 27th. Perhaps we will be able to open it a little later. We still have work to do for the monument, we have to ensure it, mainly to make sure that it can function as a place to be visited and this is one of the reasons we are implementing the program of visits to the monument”, emphasizes Ms. Malamidou.

The first excavation at the site took place in 1954 and a more systematic one began in 2014 by archaeologist Katerina Peristeri.