The impressive Hamza Bey Mosque, otherwise known as the Alcazar, will be ready to be handed over to the city of Thessaloniki in the first half of 2026, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said after a visit and inspection of the restoration work being carried out on the monument on Monday.
The culture ministry has undertaken the restoration using 11 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, through the collaboration of its Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments Restoration Department and the local Thessaloniki antiquities ephorate.
Mendoni was briefed on the complex and demanding project, given that the monument has been subjected to significant wear and tear and changes through interventions at various periods in time.
After inspecting the project, Ms. Mendoni stated: "For the last six years, we have been implementing a programme of projects and actions in Thessaloniki that exceeds 100,000,000 euros, from community and national funds. This demonstrates the importance we attach to the monuments and the centuries-old history of Thessaloniki, which are gradually being returned to the citizens, repaired and enhanced, offering a completely different image of the city. The Hamza Bey Mosque, in the city centre, at the intersection of Egnatia and Venizelou streets, in the immediate vicinity of the northern entrance of the Metropolitan Railway station, is the oldest Islamic house of prayer in Thessaloniki. It was built in 1467 by the daughter of the military commander Hamza Bey. Later, in the peristyle courtyard of the mosque, the Alcazar cinema operated for decades, the name of which has become ingrained in our collective memory. The Mosque has been protected under archaeological law as a historical and archaeological monument since 1926. The restoration of the Alcazar is progressing according to schedule. Its restoration will give the city another emblematic monument. Our goal is to complete the project and return the monument to the city within the first half of 2026. By restoring Thessaloniki's monuments, the culture ministry is decisively contributing not only to the upgrading of the city's image, but also to its cultural function and economic development."
According to the announcement of the Ministry of Culture, the project is progressing well and rapidly, both to the interior and exterior of the monument, including work to protect its structural integrity and to preserve its interior decorative elements.