All parties involved in the recent meeting of the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) stressed the excellent collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Attiko Metro S.A. and the municipality of Thessaloniki. Also emphasized was the company’s intent to construct a work that will enhance the antiquities to the maximum in the spirit of the principle “both the antiquities and the metro”, but also the need for no more delays as the city wants it, the metro, to be delivered.

“We expect the project’s completion. In November 2020 we shall be handing over most of it; from Nea Elvetia to the Syntrivani. We are excluding the two stations of ‘Agia Sofia’ and ‘Venizelos’ where, for obvious reasons, there will be a delay of one to two years; i.e. we estimate that these two will be delivered between the end of 2020 to the end of 2021 or in early 2022”. The above statement was made by the chairman of Attiko Metro Yannis Mylopoulos, who was present at the meeting of the KAS, where discussions were completed regarding the enhancement of the fountain-house discovered at the northern entrance of Agia Sofia station, during construction work on the Metropolitan Railway of Thessaloniki.

A reminder that at the KAS meeting the discussion was continued that had been interrupted last week (January 23), when the two solutions proposed by a member of the KAS and the Department of Restoration of Ancient Monuments prevented the “sacrifice” of a section of the fountain-house/nymphaeum about 4.5 meters in length, as part of its enhancement. The Attiko Metro had reserved the right to answer to these solutions and finally gave the “go ahead” to the proposal concerning the change of direction of the ventilation shaft, which was presented at the meeting in more detail.

The secretary general of the Ministry of Culture and Sport spoke again of the excellent collaboration between the three parties, stressing that “Solutions can be found. For the umpteenth time we shall state that it would have be preferable for the Metro not to pass through the ancient city, but once this has happened and it is going ahead, one should search for the best possible solution.”

Following the given solution, the observations and positive suggestions of the responsible directorates, the members of the KAS unanimously said “yes” to the complete repositioning of the fountain-house/nymphaeum, as well as to the study for the detachment and repositioning of parts of the masonry belonging to the stoa of the s-shaped marble paved square, in order to remove the fountain-house/nymphaeum, unearthed at the north entrance of the Agia Sofia station.