Greece’s Ministry of Culture has announced a €1.2 million restoration project to preserve and showcase the ruins of the Athens Medrese (Islamic school) and the underlying Late Roman fortifications.
Located in the heart of the historic Plaka district near the Roman Agora, the site is set to be transformed into a fully accessible archaeological park.
The project, funded by the “Attica” 2021-2027 NSRF program, aims to rescue a monument that has stood as a silent witness to the city’s multi-layered history for over 300 years.
History of the Ottoman school in Athens
The Athens Medrese was established in 1721 by Mehmet Fakhri as a prestigious theological school. However, its identity shifted dramatically following the Greek War of Independence.
The Prison Era: In the 1830s, the new Greek state converted the complex into a prison. For decades, it was a place of notoriety and suffering, undergoing significant architectural changes, including the addition of a second floor to the eastern wing.
Partial Demolition: By 1914, much of the western section was excavated and demolished, revealing even older history: a segment of the Late Roman Wall that once protected the city.
Today, only the monumental gateway and parts of the original cells remain. The site currently serves as a lapidarium (storage) for architectural fragments found during excavations of the Roman Agora.
Minister Mendoni: “Restoring a complex narrative”
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni emphasized the urgency of the intervention, noting that the site currently suffers from “abandonment, structural decay, and accessibility challenges.”
“The Athens Medrese is a monument with a complex, multi-layered history,” Mendoni stated. “Our goal is to make its original layout and function readable once again. We are creating an integrated visitor experience that highlights its chronological evolution—from its Ottoman roots to its use as a prison—and its coexistence with the Roman ruins beneath it.”
Once completed, the site at the intersection of Aiolou and Pelopida streets will offer a rare glimpse into the “uninterrupted continuity” of Athenian history, bridging the gap between the Roman era and the modern Greek state.