Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, recently conducted an on-site inspection of the restoration works at the historic Hamza Bey Mosque, also known as Alcazar, in Thessaloniki. She was accompanied by Elisavet Tsigarida, head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki, and Efi Chorafa, head of the projects department of the Directorate of Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments.
During the visit, Mendoni was briefed by officials from the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the contracting company about the progress of the project, described as extremely complex and demanding due to alterations in the monument's morphology from historical interventions. The restoration project has been undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with funding of approximately €11 million from the Recovery Fund.
The restoration is being carried out by the Directorate of Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments, in collaboration with the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki. “For the last six years, we have been implementing in Thessaloniki a program of projects and actions that exceeds €100 million, from community and national resources. This attests to the importance we attribute to the monuments and the long-standing history of Thessaloniki, which are gradually being returned to the citizens, conserved and highlighted, offering a completely different image of the city,” said Mendoni, according to Newsbomb.
“The Hamza Bey Mosque, in the center of the city, at the intersection of Egnatia and Venizelou streets, in immediate proximity to the northern entrance of the Metropolitan Railway station, is the oldest Islamic place of worship in Thessaloniki. It was built in 1467 by the daughter of the military commander Hamza Bey. Later, in the colonnaded courtyard of the mosque, the Alcazar cinema operated for decades, the name of which prevailed in collective memory,” she continued, according to Newsbomb.
“The restoration will return to the city another emblematic monument. The restoration of the Alcaçar is progressing according to the schedule. Our goal is the completion of the project and the return of the monument to the city within the first half of 2026,” emphasized Mendoni. “By restoring the monumental wealth of Thessaloniki, the Ministry of Culture is decisively contributing not only to the upgrading of the city's image but also to its cultural function and economic development,” she added.
The Hamza Bey Mosque has been protected under archaeological law as a historical and archaeological monument since 1926. The project is progressing smoothly and at an intensive pace after the completion of the infrastructure for the construction site development. On the northern and western sides of the mosque, working scaffolds have been erected. The existing internal supports were checked and supplemented in places with new arrangements. Suitable scaffolding arrangements were installed peripherally on the inner side of the walls for the execution of the planned works at all heights, ensuring access up to the level of the dome.
Preventive stabilization works of the internal decoration of the mosque are underway by specialized teams of conservators. Partial detachment of the marble slabs of the floor in the atrium area is taking place. Works are being carried out on the external walls of the monument to remove decayed joints and coatings. Samples of new compatible mortars are being executed on the external walls.
The mosque consists of three distinct units corresponding to three successive chronological phases of its construction: the prayer hall, the portico, and the atrium. The square prayer hall has internal dimensions of 11.54 meters by 11.54 meters and a maximum height of 17 meters. The lead-covered hemispherical dome rests on an octagonal drum.
In the northeastern and southwestern sides of the prayer hall, compartments were added, and an eccentric portico was added on the northwestern side and the western corner. These additions form a unified portico surrounding the mosque in a “P” shape. The portico consists of an open column-supported arcade (rebak) on the west, with closed side apartments to the north and south. The compartments of the portico develop parallel to the side walls of the main mosque. The atrium has a trapezoidal shape, with arcades defined by colonnades.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
