The object of the Strategic Plan prepared by the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Municipality of Ioannina, for the promotion and sustainable use of the Castle of Ioannina, as an emblematic monumental ensemble, is the creation of a single archaeological and cultural space. The cultural management study includes the historical and archaeological documentation of the intervention area, focusing on its particular physiognomic characteristics, which constitute the integrated promotion of the area as a single functional whole, among the monuments of the urban centre of Ioannina. Alongside the traditional tour and educational programmes, the design of digital applications and services is proposed in order to achieve a holistic visitor experience.

The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni said: “The creation of a unified archaeological tour and contemporary museum experience, integrating the Byzantine and Ottoman buildings of the northeastern Acropolis into a common management of uses, as well as its integration with the southeastern Acropolis – in which projects funded by the Ministry of Culture from the Recovery Fund have been planned – is an objective of the strategic plan of the Ministry of Culture. An important programme of works and studies is already underway in the area of the Castle, which is changing the image of the monument and the urban fabric of the city. Through these interventions, the quality of life of the residents is being upgraded and the cultural heritage and multicultural identity of the area is being highlighted in a coherent and integrated way. Studies are being carried out and restoration projects are being implemented at the monuments located inside the two Acropolises, at the Aslan Pasha Mosque, at Medrese, at the Ottoman Library, at the Ottoman Baths, at the building of the Hestia.At the same time, improving accessibility for visitors with disabilities and handicapped persons is our priority and a necessary condition for the upgrading and functional integration of the Castle into the urban fabric of the city”.

The Castle of Ioannina, declared as an ancient Byzantine monument, archaeological site and historical place, is one of the largest fortifications of the Ali Pasha era. It is built on a peninsula that flows into Lake Pamvotis and includes two rocky hills, the NE and SE Acropolis. It includes parts of fortifications, secular and religious buildings from the Byzantine period and the centuries of Ottoman rule. It is an emblematic site for the city of Ioannina, charged with multiple meanings and symbolism. The entire interior of the Castle of the city of Ioannina, including the buildings and streets, has been declared an archaeological site and a historical monument.