Thessaloniki’s Toumba archaeological site moves toward a new phase, with design competition planned for 2026

The archaeological Toumba hill in Thessaloniki is moving beyond excavation and toward an organized plan to present the site and the hill itself. Greece’s Culture Ministry said it will launch a design competition in 2026.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni inspected the site alongside Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis. She described Toumba as an important archaeological landmark for the city, where prehistoric remains connect with the later historical development of Thessaloniki.

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On Toumba hill, a very important archaeological site, we have prehistoric remains that connect with the historical periods in Thessaloniki’s development. It is therefore an archaeological landmark in the city’s history.

The excavation remains active and is being conducted by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The university is responsible for completing the research and archaeological work, as well as conserving the finds. Mendoni said the remains include a prehistoric settlement and buildings made from unfired bricks, making their preservation and presentation particularly difficult.

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The finds from the excavation are prehistoric. It is a settlement, with buildings constructed from unfired bricks, and that makes their conservation and presentation quite difficult.

The next stage will move the project from an initial set of ideas to a mature study. That study will determine which archaeological remains can be displayed and how the wider hill should be developed. The ministry plans to hold the competition under Greece’s public works legislation, with the aim of producing the study within a reasonable period.

Angeloudis said the request to redevelop the excavation area and the wider hill had been presented to the prime minister. He emphasized the site’s importance to Thessaloniki’s history and its connection to residents of the Toumba neighborhood, who speak about it with nostalgia and ideas about how it should be presented. He thanked the culture minister for coming to issue instructions for the first organized effort to showcase the site.

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It is a place connected with the history of the city itself, and even more so with the residents of Toumba, who always speak about it with nostalgia and with ideas about how this site should be presented.