Restoration work has been completed on the historic Hamza Bey Mosque (Alkazar) in Thessaloniki, a landmark deeply intertwined with the city’s history and collective memory, which had remained shrouded in scaffolding for nearly four decades. The project was carried out by the Ministry of Culture with funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Located in the heart of the city, at the intersection of Egnatia and Venizelou streets, close to the northern entrance of the metro station, the Hamza Bey Mosque is the oldest Islamic place of worship in Thessaloniki. It was built in 1467 by the daughter of military commander Hamza Bey. In later years, its colonnaded courtyard became home to the Alkazar cinema, which operated for decades and ultimately lent the monument the name by which it remains widely known. The mosque has been protected under Greek archaeological law as a historic and archaeological monument since 1926.
©ΥΠΠΟ
