Completion of Thessaloniki mosque restoration set for 2026

Thessaloniki’s historic Hamza Bey Mosque, known to locals as the Alkazar, is set to be handed over to the city early next year, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has said during an inspection of its restoration works. 

Funded with €11 million from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the restoration project is being carried out by the Ministry of Culture’s Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments Restoration Department in collaboration with Thessaloniki’s antiquities ephorate.

Given the extensive wear, alterations, and interventions the monument – the oldest Ottoman mosque in Thessaloniki – has undergone over the centuries, its restoration is a complex and demanding task.

“Over the past six years, we have implemented projects and initiatives in Thessaloniki totaling more than €100 million from EU and national funds. This reflects our commitment to preserving the city’s rich heritage,” Mendoni stated.

Built in 1467 by Hafse Hatun, daughter of military commander Hamza Bey, the mosque is located at the intersection of Egnatia and Venizelou streets. For decades, its peristyle courtyard housed the Alkazar cinema, a name still ingrained in the city’s collective memory.

It was registered as a historical and archaeological monument in 1926.

Kathimeri