A new museum showcasing archaeological discoveries uncovered during the construction of Thessaloniki's metro system is set to become a major cultural landmark for the city's western districts. Housed in a restored military barracks building spanning around 3,000 square metres within the Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park, the Museum of Thessaloniki Metro Finds is nearing completion, with both indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces taking shape.
The surrounding grounds will feature a permanent open-air archaeological display designed to offer visitors an immersive experience. Among the most striking exhibits already installed are mosaics, hypocaust heating systems and structural remains from a Late Antiquity villa excavated at the "Agia Sofia" metro station between 2017 and 2018. These mosaics date from the late 4th to early 5th century AD and are now protected under a glass structure, with walkways allowing visitors to view them up close.
Nearby, two marble sarcophagi discovered at the "Dimokratia" station, part of the city's western necropolis, have also been placed on display. One, dating to the 4th century, was found intact and contained the remains of three individuals along with gold grave goods. The second, from the 3rd century, held four burials with fewer accompanying items. Inside the museum, which will span two floors, a broader selection of finds from metro excavations will be exhibited. The displays will trace Thessaloniki's urban development from its founding in 316 BC by Cassander through to the devastating fire of 1917.
Funded with €14.5 million from Greece's Recovery Fund via the Ministry of Culture, the project forms part of a wider regeneration effort in the area. The museum will open alongside the Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park, which is scheduled to be inaugurated on 12 June, accompanied by public events and activities organised by the municipality.
Meanwhile, plans are also advancing for the creation of a new Museum of Refugee Hellenism in Thessaloniki, adding a second major cultural project to the emerging Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park in the city's west. The Greek Ministry of Culture has launched a public tender to appoint a contractor for the restoration of two historic buildings that will house the museum.
The project, with a budget of €4.8 million funded through the Central Macedonia regional programme (ESPA), invites bids until 14 May. The contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder, and the works are expected to take 22 months from the date of signing.
Located centrally within the park, near the future "memory square" and adjacent to the building that will host the metro excavation museum, the two buildings were built between 1895 and 1905. Their restoration will involve structural and electromechanical works to prepare them for exhibition use.
The museum's central concept explores the history of refugee populations from before the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 to the present day, focusing on ideas of belonging, homeland and displacement. The exhibition is structured around two symbolic "places": the lost homelands in Asia Minor and the neighbourhoods in Thessaloniki where refugees later settled.
The main exhibition will be housed in the single-storey 745 sq m building and will display 413 objects across six thematic sections. These include everyday and personal items such as books, clothing, tools, religious artefacts, and musical instruments, largely originating from Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia Minor, and Eastern Thrace.
The two-storey 700 sq m building will accommodate additional exhibition spaces, conservation areas and storage, with a smaller display of 30 objects and archival material. Digital installations, including interactive screens, soundscapes and mapped projections, are planned to enhance visitor engagement. The collection will also remain open to future expansion.
by Katia Gerakaritou - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
