The Agora, Thessaloniki

The Agora is the old Roman Forum and is right in the city centre, just to the north of the Aristotelous Square, which is rather like it’s modern equivalent. It was discovered by accident in the 1960’s when the area was being developed. It was constructed during the 2nd century A.D. on the site of an older Forum from the Macedonian period.

It’s possible to see the remains from the street, but we paid the 4 Euro entry fee to get a closer look, and gain entry to the small museum on the site.

The Macedonian Heritage website tells us:

The square Upper Agora was paved and surrounded by stoae (porticoes) with two-tiered columns and decorated floors. On the eastern side there was the library and the odeum. Because of the considerable difference between the two levels, a ‘cryptoporticus’ (double subterranean stoa) was constructed under the south portico of the Upper Agora

The cryptoporticus was something of an ancient shopping mall with a row of shops fronting the ancient shopping street.

The small new Museum is reached by passing through the remaining passage and has an interesting collection of artefacts found on the site together with information on the history of the Agora, right up to modern times.

At one time there was a series of statues of the Muses facing the Via Egnatia. These were called the Incantadas (Enchanted Idols) by the city’s Sephardic Jewish community. By the 19th century, much of the colonnade was lost, but a segment remained, incorporated into the courtyard of a Jewish home. These were taken by a French archaeologist and can now be found in the Louvre. So it’s not just the British who are guilty of plundering Greek heritage!

The large Odeum, or Odeon, a theater which would have been used for musical performances and gladiatorial contests, has been reconstructed and is still used for summer concerts.