The research project prepared by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for the prioritization and methodology of the restoration interventions of the Castle of Didymoteicho for its protection and its functional interconnection with the urban environment was completed. In the first phase of the research project, applied research was carried out for the analysis, mapping, and historical, architectural documentation of the monument as a whole and the pathology of the monument at the level of the whole and its individual parts was examined. In the second phase, priorities were identified, based on a costed strategic plan, for the planning of the required interventions to enhance the monument, with emphasis on the sections with the most critical structural problems, as well as the reconstruction of the site by restoring the routes and the immediate surroundings.

After the presentation of the research project at the meeting at the Ministry of Culture, Minister Lina Mendoni, noted: “We now have a strategic plan for the protection of the monumental complex of Didymoteicho Castle and the promotion of its timeless and synchronic relationship with the urban fabric surrounding it. The restoration and promotion of the Castle is an extensive project with a long-term horizon for completion. However, based on the results and conclusions of the project, we are now launching the programme of interventions required by the monument, giving priority to the entrances to the Castle, the routes within it and its surroundings. Our aim is the protection, morphological restoration and functional integration of the monument into the fabric of the city. The preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of Didymoteicho, in its long history, is a priority for the Ministry of Culture, in the context of the general strategy of the Government for the reconstruction and development of the bordering regional unit of Evros. The restoration project of the Castle of Didymoteicho is part of the planning of the cultural projects that we are planning in the region in cooperation with the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in accordance with the priorities that have been jointly set. Utilizing the historical background of the Castle, our intention is to highlight the intangible cultural heritage of the place, the history and legends associated with the Castle, in order to highlight its importance and enrich the visitor’s experience. Following the restoration of the Church of St. Athanasius in the Castle, the start of work on the restoration of the Bayezid Mosque, and the three post-Byzantine churches in the wider area of Didymoteicho, the Ministry of Culture is giving priority to the Castle of the Twin Walls, which has dominated the site since the time of Justinian. A long-standing demand of the local community is being met. As we have committed ourselves, in early 2025 the results of the project will be presented in Didymoteicho.”.

Based on the results of the project, immediate interventions are being launched at the two gates: Bridge Gate and Market Gate, and four towers: P1, P2, P3, P4. The cobblestones on the routes between the two gates are being restored in order to improve mobility within the Castle, the cave-ins are being preserved, spot restorations are being carried out on the walls with priority being given to the sections where the masonry is collapsing, and a staging and viewing area is being created towards Tower 1, also known as the Vasilopoula Tower. At the same time, some expropriations and the management of abandoned structures are necessary.