Greek Agora and Roman Forum, Thessaloniki

The Roman Forum is an excavated Roman-era civic complex, also commonly referred to as the Ancient Agora. It was uncovered in 1966, when construction work began on a new Thessaloniki Municipal Courthouse. Following the discovery, plans for the courthouse were abandoned, and the site was set aside for systematic archaeological excavation.

When Thessaloniki came under Roman rule, the earlier Hellenistic agora was expanded and reorganized into a large Roman forum laid out on two main levels. Construction began in the late 2nd century CE, and the complex remained in use until at least the 6th century. During this period, it functioned as the city’s primary administrative, commercial, religious, and social center, closely connected to the main streets of Roman Thessaloniki.

The forum included a central open square surrounded by two-story porticoes, along with public buildings and amenities typical of Roman urban planning. Archaeological remains indicate the presence of two bath complexes and an odeon, originally intended for musical performances, public meetings, and civic gatherings. Some interpretations suggest that the odeon itself may have been adapted to host gladiatorial contests and hunts with wild animals.

Decorative elements of the forum included arches, fountains, colonnades, and mosaic floors, fragments of which survive. Several Corinthian columns, once supporting the porticoes, remain standing or partially reconstructed. One of the most distinctive features of the site is the cryptoporticus, a network of semi-subterranean vaulted corridors that supported the upper level of the forum. These passages are exceptionally well preserved and can be followed by visitors today. They also provide access to the underground museum, which displays artifacts uncovered during excavation, including coins, inscriptions, architectural fragments, and marble sculptures found on-site.