Greece Presents the World with the Restored ‘Parthenon of Macedonia’
Following 16 years of restoration work, the palace of King Phillip II in Aigai (Vergina) in Macedonia, Greece, opened its doors to the public on Sunday. The inauguration of the largest building of Classical Greece, where Alexander the Great was crowned, was attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who described the event as one of “global importance and extensive international reach”.
Together with the Parthenon it is considered to be the most significant building of Classical Greece.
Dubbed the “Parthenon of Macedonia” by German classicist, archaeologist, architectural historian Wolfram Hoepfner, the palace was constructed during the reign of Alexander’s father Philip II (359-336 BC) in Aigai. The cost of restoration exceeded 20 million euros and was also funded by the EU.
Ancient Aigai, the first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, is located some 65km southwest of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. The palace grounds and the royal tombs (Vergina) nearby have been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Speaking ahead of the inauguration, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the palace, which was three times the size of the Parthenon, was a symbol of power and beauty and that together with the museum inaugurated a year ago creates a cultural attraction set to drive growth in the Region of Macedonia.