Ancient ruins and ancient artifacts: a unique metro station was opened in Greece (8 photos + 1 video)

New Thessaloniki Metro Station Showcases Byzantine Market and Other Ancient Treasures That Almost Derailed the Metro's Opening





The metro system in Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, officially opened this weekend, with stations featuring the same ancient artifacts that nearly derailed the project.



During construction that began in 2006, workers uncovered a Byzantine-era market, a Roman cemetery, and other treasures from the city's long and varied history.

The finds have set back the metro's development and raised questions about how the city will modernize while preserving its rich past. The answer was to blend the two approaches by putting the artifacts on display for modern commuters.





"This is not just a public works project that is incredibly important for the city. It is also a museum. It is unique. We will go through an underground museum to get to the train," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said before visiting the Venizelou station for a private tour on the eve of the opening.

The metro took nearly 20 years to build, partly due to funding problems during the 2009-2018 Greek debt crisis. It is the first such system in Greece outside Athens.



According to the project's contractor, the builders had to dig deeper than originally planned - up to 31 meters - so that the tunnels would pass under the archaeological finds.



"This is an opportunity for Thessaloniki to become a second Rome in terms of antiquities," said Melina Paisidou, one of the archaeologists who discovered the relics underground.

The Prime Minister described Venizelu station as "the best metro station in the world" because it combines the work of a unique museum with antiquities discovered during excavations.

In total, more than 300,000 archaeological finds were discovered during the construction of the metro.