The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and the Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, signed on Sunday 1 December at the City Hall of Thessaloniki a Programme Contract for the “Restoration of the Ottoman fountains of the Upper City of Thessaloniki”.

The object of the contract is the maintenance, protection, preservation and promotion of the eight Ottoman cranes (Alatza Imaret, at 75 Olympiad Street, 35 Dimitrios Poliorkitos Street, Timotheos and Lysiou, Papareska 9, at the junction of Herodotus and Athena, the twin fountain of Numan Pasha, Kokkinis Vrisi) in the Upper City of Thessaloniki, their reintegration into the life of the city with the upgrading of the public space.

As Minister Lina Mendoni said, “It is always a pleasure for me and my colleagues to be in the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Over the past year, we have planned a series of joint actions and projects that promote the development of the city and enhance the lives of its citizens. Today, we are signing the programmatic contract with the Municipality for the restoration of the Ottoman Fountains in Upper City. The project, which will be implemented in close cooperation between the Municipality of Thessaloniki and its services, and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki City, is deeply symbolic and, above all, it is in line with the logic of our policies to create cultural routes in historic city centres and generally in the urban fabric of a modern city. Cultural itineraries are the main tool for enhancing cultural tourism and we must invest in them in the context of sustainable development. The Ministry of Culture is implementing a programme of projects and actions in Central Macedonia that exceeds 150 million euros of national and Community funds. The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis attaches great importance to Thessaloniki, delivering preserved monuments of unique historical and archaeological importance to its citizens. One more project, which is part of the broader strategic planning of the Ministry of Culture, is the Ottoman fountains, which contributes greatly not only to the restoration and promotion of the monumental heritage of Thessaloniki of all historical periods, but also to its reintegration into the life of the city and the upgrading of the public space”.

The Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis said: “I would like to express my warm thanks to the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, because within a short period of time from the moment it was decided, we signed the programmatic contract for the restoration of the eight Ottoman crenellations in Upper City, in the third Municipal Community. The eight Ottoman fountains are being restored, becoming functional and, above all, becoming a special tourist product. I thank the Minister, who is always helpful in all problems, in all proposals, in all action plans concerning the cultural footprint of our city.”

The project, with a total budget of 200,000 euros, is funded by the Ministry of Culture and includes cleaning, maintenance and restoration work, which will be carried out after the preparation of special documentation and restoration studies (topographical, architectural, conservation). The work will be carried out by the Ministry of Culture, through the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki City. The water supply to the Fountains and the enhancement of their surroundings will be carried out by the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

The public fountains of the Ottoman period were an important element of the historical cities for the supply of drinking water from the springs and aqueducts of the region. Fountains were constructed in religious complexes, but also in streets and squares, and often through sponsorship. The constructions of most crenaic structures were highly elaborate and are noted for their artistic quality, in addition to their function.

Today, in the 3rd Municipal Community of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, 15 fountains are preserved, with the majority of them located within the boundaries of the traditional settlement of Ano Polis, three within the Acropolis (Eptapyrgio area), one in the surrounding area of Alatza Imaret, in close proximity to the traditional settlement of Upper City, and another one in the area of “Kedrinos Hill”. In the first phase, the restoration of the eight Ottoman crenellations of the Upper City is proposed.