Museum Thessalonikeon Mitropolis

 

A museum that connects the city with its history The new museum of Thessaloniki is housed in the renovated barracks building A3 within the Metropolitan Park, formerly the Pavlos Melas Camp, and gathers archaeological finds that were uncovered during the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro. Its creation gives the finds a permanent exhibition space, so that they are not stored or scattered, but are presented as a single piece of the city's history.

 

 

A luxurious Roman villa with a total area of ​​300 sq.m. decorated with high-quality mosaics – one of which depicts Aphrodite with Eros – and two marble monolithic sarcophagi dating from the late 3rd, early 4th century with multiple burials richly endowed with gold jewelry, fabrics and bone forks are the first findings that visitors encounter in the brand new archaeological museum of Thessaloniki. Inside the building – which was erected in the period 1895 – 1905 and functioned as a hoplite chamber – the first floor is occupied by movable findings that document the continuous habitation and organization of the city and its surrounding area since its foundation in 316/5 BC. until the fire of 1917.

 

On the ground floor, opposite the reception and public service areas, there are, among other things, findings from necropolises that come from excavations in the areas outside the walls, namely from the New Railway Station, Dimokratias, Sintrivani, Panepistimi, Fleming and Pylaia depots: tombstones, jewelry and gold wreaths, larnacae and sarcophagi with rich decoration from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, funerary altars, frescoes, and mosaics from churches and workshops.

 

An ancient road On the particularly impressive first floor, the single space functions as an alter ego of the Decumanus maximus, the central road artery of Thessaloniki that is identified with today's Egnatia Road. And it is divided into seven sections – eras with screens that project different layers of it per period with findings that tell the history of Thessaloniki from the stations that were located within the city walls: Venizelou and Hagia Sophia. The objects, witnesses to the city’s memory, are just some of the 300,000 that came to light during the metro works and allow visitors to follow its evolution through the urban changes recorded in the excavations as a consequence of war conflicts or natural disasters. Modern infrastructure and services

 

The “Metropolis of Thessalonica” is a museum open and accessible to all, with modern infrastructures that enhance the visiting experience and the connection with the local community. The Cultural Resources Management and Development Organization (ODAP) has undertaken the operation of the café, shop and family lounge, which is being created for the first time in a public museum in Greece.

Hours: Monday to Sunday: 08:30 – 15:30 (Tuesday Closed)

Entrance fee: Plan your visit: https://tickets.hh.gr/en/venues/thessalonikeon-metropolis-tickets

Address: Mikis Theodorakis BLVD, Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park, Stavroupoli 564 29