IIt caused untold chaos, decades of confusion, and sparked controversy and despair among historians and archaeologists. But at noon on Saturday, the long-awaited opening of the metro will open Thessaloniki's antique-rich underground world to a world of driverless trains and high-tech automation.
The excitement on the streets of the northern Greek port city is almost palpable. “It has been an extremely complex and difficult archaeological undertaking,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said, referring to the discovery of more than 300,000 objects since construction began 22 years ago. “It took fighting on many fronts to get here.”
The discovery of never-before-seen treasures (many of which will be displayed at the station itself) traces the multi-layered history of the metropolis, which dates back 2,300 years and was passed through by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. We are committed to traveling in a modern way. It includes two marble squares, an early Christian basilica, Roman boulevards, water and sewage systems, and an ancient Greek burial ground filled with jewels and gold.
Representative works will be on display at 13 “archaeological stations” opened this weekend in central Thessaloniki. More will be added next year when the second line is completed.
Transport Minister Christos Staikoulas told reporters earlier this month: “What you see here is a beautiful fusion of ancient and modern times, integrating archaeological heritage and metro infrastructure.'' Ta.
As part of a carefully planned inauguration ceremony, the “whole ruins”, which have been kept secret, will be unveiled for the first time on Saturday at Central Venizerou railway station. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after touring the site with a delegation of officials, including the president. It was set up to provide antiques and a subway system to the city. ”
Greece's first fully automated rapid transit system is expected to serve more than 250,000 passengers per day and reduce traffic congestion by up to 60,000 vehicles.
The metro's complex technology explains why, at least initially, it runs only along 10km of track, creating complaints about the network's limited reach. In 2040, an extension to the city's international airport, eight miles away, is planned.
But Saturday's grand opening will be attended by many members of Greece's centre-right government, as well as foreign officials, including Italy's Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini. Italy's Webuild was part of the construction consortium behind the huge EU-funded project.
Since the opening of the Athens metro system some 25 years ago, Greece has never undertaken an infrastructure project of this scale or importance.
The subway was originally scheduled to be completed in 2012.
From the beginning, troubled public works have wreaked havoc on central Thessaloniki, as well as government incompetence and, more generally, the authorities' disregard for the country's northern capital. It became a symbol of what local residents saw.
So many artifacts were unearthed that engineers and archaeologists worked closely together to make it one of Greece's largest and most controversial excavations. Subway tunnels had to be dug at least 20 meters deep to preserve near-surface finds, but architects had to go back to the drawing board to redesign the stations once the treasure was discovered. I was forced to do that.
Transport network delays and additional financial demands, which have already cost €3bn (£2.49bn), have led the Ministry of Culture to describe the project as the “largest rescue operation” ever carried out in Greece. are.
Not everyone agrees. Angelos Chaniotis, who teaches at Princeton University, echoed the surprise of some fellow historians, saying the treasure was “sliced horizontally and vertically” before being “stitched together like a puzzle” to fit the subway. He lamented that it was something that had happened.
Far from being a cause for rejoicing, underground construction “undermines the authenticity of antiquities and does not justify celebrations,” he said in an editorial published in the normally pro-government newspaper Kathimerini. Ta.
