Reopening the birthplace of Alexander the Great after centuries

Quoted from Akathimerini; The doors of the ancient palace of Pella, the birthplace and childhood place of Alexander the Great, were finally opened to the public on 5 January 1404 (26 December 2025) following the long-term efforts of the Greek government to revive the heritage of ancient Macedonia. This huge complex of 70 hectares, located on a hill overlooking the ancient city, has been turned into an archaeological park structured with national and European funds to narrate the greatness of the political and ceremonial center of Macedonia for today’s visitors.

Lina Mendoni, the Minister of Culture of Greece, at the opening ceremony of this project, emphasized the importance of the historical connection between the palaces of Aigai and Pella, and considered these two buildings to be the seat of power of Philip II and Alexander the Great. According to the Pella Antiquities Department, this complex consists of seven main buildings on stair levels, whose construction continued from the reign of Philip II to the “Hellenistic” period, and contains parts such as reception halls, royal apartments, council rooms, and the Palestra educational space.

Photographer: Unknown / www.ekathimerini.com

This historical monument, which was looted and abandoned after the Roman attack in 168 BC, was excavated in 1338 AD (1959 AD), but due to its large size and extensive destruction over the centuries, the preparation process lasted for decades. With only the foundations now remaining, a new reception center equipped with digital displays has been built on site to help visitors get a virtual understanding of the palace’s architecture and lost glory.

Simultaneously with this reopening, two valuable marble statues belonging to the Hellenistic period, which were discovered in the excavations of the Agora in 2015, were displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Pella after years of restoration. Greek tourism officials also announced that from next season, an integrated electronic ticketing system will be launched for this site and museum to facilitate tourists’ access to this world heritage.