MUNICIPALITY OF THESSALONIKI

Municipality
of Thessaloniki
THE
“ANO POLIS” (UPPER CITY) PROJECT
This document is dedicated to the unemployed workers
for their future achievements.
It is remarkable how a trustworthy agreement between
entrepreneur, master mason and labor apprentice establish
civilizations. The need for a job is only a spark for the ignition of
construction machines. The real force is this strong agreement.

Ioannis Emmanouilidis : Municipality of Thessaloniki THE “ANO POLIS” (UPPER CITY) PROJECT 22
.
o
AGooglesnapshotshowingthelocation(redcircles)ofconstructionsiteswithintheoldcityborders.Thisisthesection“H”
Atthewestcornerofthecastlewalls,wherethewestexitis,theextensionofthestreetOLYMPIADAwasinsufficienttotakethe
trafficload.ThusthewideningofKAPETANAGRAstreetwasabsolutelynecessary.

The period 1979-1983 was a sort period of mild economic depression for Greece. That time
the Greek Government decided to take action against unemployment. Therefore small construction
programs begun to run all over the country and the Municipality of Thessaloniki was a center were
a major part of the state's budget for public works should be invested to reduce the unemployment
percentage.
About two hundred employees (Engineers, Foremen, Labor workers) were hired by the
Municipality's Administration of Technical Services, to construct many small scale works, mainly
city's roads. Some of these workers were not relative to construction business but simply persons
that lost their jobs. Among them were unemployed from other professions as for example a tailor, a
coal miner, a few merchants, a teacher, etc, who decided to change their professional designation in
favor of a viable salary. Among them were also elders who needed just a few wages to fulfill the
necessary terms for their pension.
In a special meeting in his Office with the Engineers, the Mayor Mr. Theocharis Manavis
proposed that within a year's period all city's problematic roads, narrow roads, roads having access
problems, roads having safety problems or damaged substructure, should be upgraded or rebuild in
order to absorb the approved budget for construction. It was rather a dramatic situation since the
service was not ready for a huge project like this.
To do so, the Administration of Technical Services of Thessaloniki's Municipality divided
the area of the city in regions and gave the authority of supervising the enclosed to these areas
projects to different Engineers. Each Engineer was in charge of about three groups of workers, more
or less, depending on the magnitude of the area or the importance of the local project. The foreman
included, each group was a seven workers team.
Having a six months working contract with the Municipality I was assigned to the region
“H” which covers the district of the “Ano Polis” (Upper City) where the Old Byzantine Citadel was
sited surrounded by a wide neighborhood having old houses with narrow streets or no streets at all.
A small portion of region “B”, the region of suburbs of old city, was also my responsibility.
The design that we should implement for “Ano Polis”, was a statement of aspects
concerning the final shape of the architectural environment of the Citadel for the preservation of the
ambient and the colors of the Byzantine face of the neighborhood including the compliance with the
obligations that the Municipality had in favor of the local citizens.
To fulfill these requirements as Supervising Engineer, I should survey the area and cooperate
with the Service of Byzantine Archeology and the Architectural Office of “Ano Polis” in order to
produce an acceptable and approved design of the roads. Small necessary expropriations should be
arranged and local structures or findings having Archaeological value should be preserved and
considered to the design.
The construction of kerbs and kerbsides, of sidewalks, of retaining walls, of steps, the
relocation and development of the public utilities/lines, etc should be constructed with similar to
existing local and traditional materials, bricks, stones of different kinds (mainly serpentine, granite)
etc. All, including the method of construction, should have the approval from the above mentioned

Services. Finally collaboration with the city's Services of Public Utilities, fresh Water supply,
Electric Power Supply, telephone and Sewers was necessary to ensure that existing, new or future
lines would be compatible to the road design.
When the designs approved, as Supervising Engineer, I should act as Resident Engineer and
Site Engineer as well.
So the three groups of workers, that I was managing, were assigned to three sites of “Ano Polis”
(Area H) named after the city's road that they had to develop.
· site Karadimu – Palikaridi (Ahtari junction) streets which had the strongest Archaelogical
restrictions due to the clear Byzantine air of the neighborhood.
· site Athina –Acropolis/Theotokopulos parodos (Library's bystreet) which had the priority of
Architectural interests due to the Municipality's popular Library.
· site Kapetan Agra which was important due to the existing, that time, traffic circulation and
future city's traffic arrangements. The Street Kapetan Agra was not inside the region “H”. It
was assigned to my authority due to the closeness and traffic circulation continuity with
region “H”
In general the works that should be constructed were in brief a) the demolishing of old
structures under the permission of the above mentioned Services in order to widen the narrow roads,
b) the excavation for the construction of public utilities (sewers, telephone lines, street lighting), c)
the reconstruction of superstructure and substructure of the roads according to the specifications of
Archeology, Architectural Office and Municipality and finally d) The development of the safety and
good traffic circulation of each neighborhood.
It was a hard work mainly because all parts should be constructed by hand due to the
difficult access of heavy machinery, the difficulty due not only to the narrow streets and the absence
of maneuverability but to the very steep slopes of the construction sites as well.
Provision also should be for the materials needed because most of them should be natural
and of variety identical or very similar to the existing. Only few providers could produce such
materials and to that time the production was limited to every day levels and not to the sadden rush
of the public works at the beginning of the programs for the unemployment.
The structure (layout) of the labor groups was following the typical scheme of:
1. One (1) Manager, Site and Resident Engineer (Guiding workers for the application of
drawings and meet of approved specifications, reports of progress, managing projects and
time-line and following procedures)
2. One (1) Foreman (supervision of workers)
3. Two (2) Stone builders (horizontally for the sidewalks and vertical for the retaining walls)
4. One (1) Kerb layer for the roads (typical concrete or byzantine type)
5. Two (2) General form-works and concrete masons
6. One (1) Manual labor assistant
Central office provisions were held at Municipality (City Hall) as follows:
1. Economics and Payment of workers
2. Every day provision of materials
3. Reports to the Director of Service and also references to Mayor's Council.

A. ATHENA STREET.
The purpose of Athena street project was a) to demolish old and wreckage buildings, to cut
through and widen the existing road of various widths (5,0m-7,0m) to a 8,0m wide carriageway
having two lanes and two traffic directions, b) to reconstruct the sidewalks at specific elevations
adjusted to existing entrances of new buildings (houses and stores) so that rain waters could flow
without flooding them, and c) give the required traditional local aspect to the neighborhood. This
was a design for the 150m out of total 300m of the street.
The excavations revealed a cistern of a mythical water tap lost decades ago. In a later stage
of the architectural development of the area this cistern was integrated in a public structure and now
decorates the fountain of the neighborhood‘s square.
.
A Google snapshot showing the 150m part of ATHENA street that was reconstructed

A view of west part of ATHENA street before reconstruction
The same view of west part of ATHENA street as it is today.

A view of east part of ATHENA street before reconstruction
The same view of east part of ATHENA street as it is today

The cistern that excavations revealed at the sidewalks of ATHENA street
The architectural structure were this cistern integrated now decorates the fountain of the
neighborhood‘s square.

The group of ATHENA Street’s workers during the construction of sidewalks and kerbs

B. ACROPOLIS/THEOTOKOPULOS PARODOS (Library's bystreet).
The purpose of Acropolis/Theotokopulos parodos (Library's bystreet) street project was a) to
construct from the beginning a stairway road to join the Acropolis street (up) and Theotokopulos
street (down) which have a 6,0m difference in elevation, b) to construct sidewalks and door steps at
specific elevations adjusted to existing entrances of buildings (houses and stores) so that access to
of all inhabitants would be feasible and c) give a traditional local aspect to the neighborhood,
something that was necessary due to the architectural design of Public Library. This was a design
for the 35m of the street that was approved by the Architectural Office of “Ano Polis” as it was
proposed by the Architect Miltos Mavromatis.
This design involved three type of stones and materials common found in the traditional area
of ANO POLIS.
A Google snapshot showing the 150m part of ATHENA street that was reconstructed.

The end of the existing earth-road (up) at the corner of the Public Library
that was joining Acropolis and Theotokopulos streets
The end of the stairway road at the corner of the Public Library as it is
today after the construction works

A view of the higher part of the stairway during construction.
A view of the higher part of the stairway as it is today.

A view of the lower part of the stairway during construction. During works a local habitant uses
safely the passage to enter his home.
A view of the lower part of the stairway as it is today

C. KARADIMU - PALIKARIDI (AHTARI junction) STREETS.
The purpose of Karadimu – Palikaridi (Ahtari junction) streets project was a) to demolish
old and wreckage structures, mainly debris and ruined walls to cut through and widen the existing
roads of various widths (1,0m-3,0m) to a 4,0m wide carriageway having one capacious lane and
two regulated traffic directions, b) to reconstruct the sidewalks at specific elevations adjusted to
existing entrances of old and new buildings (houses) so that access of all inhabitants would be
feasible , c) to demolish the stairs of Ahtari street and develop a road junction with a small park and
c) give a traditional local aspect to the neighborhood which has very strong Archaelogical
restrictions due to the clear Byzantine air of the neighborhood and the fountain which now
decorates the neighborhood‘s park.
The fountain is a part of the of the old city byzantine era fresh water supply system which
was transferring fresh water from the springs of mountain Hortiates.
This was a design for the 170,0m of Karadimu street, the 37,0m of Palikaridi stairway street
and 25,0 m of Ahtari street.
A Google snapshot showing the 150m part of ATHENA street that was reconstructed.

The junction Ahtari-Karadimu
during construction (up) and as
it is today (left photo).

The extension of Karadimu street towards the walls of the old byzantine castle before the cut
through the ruins of old structures.
The extension of Karadimu street towards the walls of the old byzantine castle as it is today.

The byzantine fountain during the construction works.
The byzantine fountain as it is today, the stairway of Palicaridi street and the local park

The group of Karadimou Street’s
workers during the construction of
sidewalks (up) and the stairway
between the fountain and the park of
the Ahtari junction (left photo) as it is
today .

D. KAPETAN AGRA STREET.
The purpose of Kapetan Agra street project was a) to demolish old and wreckage structures
to cut through and widen the existing road to an 8,0m wide carriageway having two lanes and two
traffic directions, b) to reconstruct the sidewalks at specific elevations adjusted to existing entrances
of old and new buildings (houses and stores) so that access to all habitants would be feasible, c) to
construct sewers to existing buildings and lower existing public utilities and street lighting d) give
to the local traffic a safe exit to Mushudi square.
This was a plan for the 190,0m of street Kapetan Agra, out of 320,0m of total length.
During the construction of sewers the excavations revealed a crypt were a small treasure of
byzantine coins was found. This treasure exhibit is a reference at the history museum of
Thessaloniki.
AGooglesnapshotshowingthefeaturesofKapetanAgraStreet

Kapetan Agra Street during
construction works (up) and as it
is today (left photo)

The construction included manholes and pipelines. These works were under the approval of Public
Sewers Organization.
The crypt where the treasure was found.

The group of Kapetan Agra
Street workers during the
excavations (up) and the
location where the byzantine
treasure was found (left photo)
as it is today.

MUNICIPALITY OF THESSALONIKI

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