Roman Forum of Thessaloniki: A landmark for Roman Thessaloniki

The Forum, for example, was temporarily in danger of being covered over by a new Courthouse in 1966, but important archaeological findings discovered during the excavation thwarted any future plans for construction in the area. 

The Forum complex, once a landmark of Roman Thessaloniki, has two chronological phases, one in the mid-2nd century AD and a second in mid-3rd. It consists of a central square, colonnaded wings with storerooms and shops, the cryptoporticus (a covered underground stoa), a mint, a bath complex and an odeon, which has been hosting cultural events to this day.

The Stoa of the Idols (Las Incantadas / The Enchanted Ones) also formed part of the Roman Forum complex, named after the relief representations of mythological figures that decorated it. Today, these famous sculptures are housed in the Louvre Museum.

The Museum of the Roman Forum of Thessaloniki is housed in a specially designed underground building in the western part of the archaeological site, a continuation of the cryptoporticus. It houses finds from the excavation of the Forum, including statues, vases, inscriptions, coins and other objects, which offer insight into the everyday life and the social structure of the city, from the 3rd century BC up to the modern era.