Palace of Pella, birthplace of Alexander the Great, to be restored

A study aiming to restore the Palace of Pella, where Alexander the Great was born and raised, was recently approved by Greece’s Central Archaeological Council.

Pella is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It used to be the historical capital of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and birthplace of Alexander the Great. It was probably built as the capital of the kingdom by Archelaus I. After the Macedonian empire decay, it was captured by the Romans, and its treasury was transported to Rome. It is believed that Euripides, the ancient Greek tragedian, wrote two of his most significant plays (“Archelaus” and “Bacchae”) in this palace.

According to officials, works to preserve and restore two major structures of the monumental Royal Palace complex of Ancient Pella will be carried out. The decision comes after a project to restore ancient Greece’s most impressive palaces was approved in 2016.

The Macedonian palace was a 56.000m² impressive and complex group of buildings constructed on different levels. It consisted of a structural network connected via stairways and paths.

The palace suffered critical damage during the Byzantine empire era, when most of its structural parts were taken and used to build settlements in the area nearby. Consequently, only the foundation of the structures along with some columns and magnificent mosaics have been preserved through the ages.

Source: Greekreporter.com