Archaeological sites and monuments located in the historical center of Thessaloniki, in the area surrounded by Angelaki, Olympiados, 26th of October and Nikis Avenue, with the main axis being Egnatia Odos, bear witness to the long history of the city and the successive presence in it of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and Jews. These monuments are going to be unified, offering the visitor a comprehensive tour of the history and the unique physiognomy of Thessaloniki.

The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, in a press conference she gave today in the amphitheater of the Museum of the Roman Market of Thessaloniki, in the presence of the mayor of Thessaloniki, announced that an architectural competition will be announced at the beginning of December, in order for this unification – which, as she said, has been discussed for more than 25 years – to finally become a reality.

“It is a debate that has occupied the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and other bodies. This discussion intensified especially after the unification of the archaeological sites of Athens”, said Ms. Mendoni, clarifying that “under no circumstances can the methodology applied in Athens be followed in Thessaloniki, due to the different nature of the monuments and their different density and distribution in the urban tissue”.

“The main goal of the project is the formation of a single, functional and aesthetically upgraded network of monuments, which will be harmoniously integrated into the modern urban fabric of the city. Through this initiative we confirm the improvement of the visibility and accessibility of the monuments for residents and visitors, while at the same time promoting the overall upgrade of the historical center of Thessaloniki”, added the minister.

Mrs. Mendoni reminded that in Thessaloniki, at the moment, the Ministry of Culture is implementing a program for the protection, maintenance and promotion of monuments and archaeological sites totaling more than 100 million euros, with financing mainly from the NSRF of Central Macedonia and the Recovery Fund. “In order to talk about the unification of archaeological sites, what is already taking place in Thessaloniki and which will be completed no later than the spring of 2027, so that the monuments can be highlighted, preserved and visited, should have been preceded. Only in this way does the integration acquire a substantial meaning”, he underlined.

Consolidation of 20 monuments and archaeological sites – 26 more to come

The consolidation plan was presented to journalists by Chronis Akritidis, managing director of the public company Anaplasi SA, which is supervised by five ministries, including the Ministry of Culture. “The object of the project concerns the creation of upgraded routes through physical design, i.e. the renovations of the surrounding area of ​​the monuments, the upgrading of sidewalks, selected pedestrian routes, the installation of visual, audio and tactile signage, as well as the reinforcement of planting and the creation of green routes”, explained Mr. Akritidis.

At the same time, he presented the 20 monuments and archaeological sites that will be compulsorily included in the initial planning of the architectural proposals — such as the Ancient Agora, Alaça Imaret, the church of Agios Dimitrios, the “Venizelos” and “Agia Sofia” Metro stations, the Rotunda, the White Tower, Achiropoiitos and the Evangelistria cemeteries.

In addition, a “reservoir” of 26 more monuments is planned, from which each competitor will be able to choose what they wish to include in their proposal.

The Minister of Culture emphasized that the tender is being announced because the particularity and complexity of the project – which involves pedestrian crossings, renovations, transport arrangements and a series of other procedures – cannot be dealt with only by an individual study approach, while the proposal that will be chosen will be the one that gathers the greatest possible consensus from the involved bodies.

“We are here today in order to announce the first step for a case that I consider as important as all the projects implemented in our city by the Ministry of Culture”, said the mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, expressing his thanks for the rapid development of the matter since he brought it up again about 10 months ago.

The event was opened by Elisavet Tsigarida, head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki.