Palace where Alexander the Great was made king reopens – 01/05/2024 – World

The palace of King Philip II of Macedonia, one of Greece’s ancient treasures where his son Alexander the Great was proclaimed king, reopened its doors this Friday (5) after 16 years of restoration, allowing tourists to discover the space.

The 4th century BC palace is located in the ancient city of Aigai, the first capital of the kingdom of Macedonia in northern Greece. The site occupies 15 thousand square meters near the current city of Vergina, which today houses the museum of Macedonian tombs, including that of Philip II.

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, celebrated, during a ceremony at the site, the possibility of showing to the public what he called a “monument of global importance”, which will receive visitors from this Sunday (7). “Philip II’s palace “has a cultural and national character, as it confirms the Greek timelessness of Macedonia over the centuries,” the politician told reporters.

The archaeological site includes the royal palace, made up of a peristyle (a gallery of Doric columns that surrounds its courtyard), and the agora, where the Macedonians met to make decisions, explained archaeologist Agueliki Kottaridi to the Athens newspaper Kathimerini.

In this courtyard with capacity for 8,000 people, Alexander the Great was proclaimed king in 336 BC, after the assassination of his father.

The palace was destroyed by the Romans in 148 BC, and excavations began in 1865 and continued sporadically into the 20th century, according to archaeologists. The restoration, which began in 2007, had a budget of €20.3 million (R$108.4 million at current prices).

Greece has a wealth of archaeological sites, including the emblematic Parthenon temple on the Acropolis of Athens, from the 5th century BC, and invests in their conservation, an important source of tourist revenue for the country, in constant economic crisis.