Water Flows Again in Thessaloniki’s Historic Fountains

 The fountain (krini) astatine Kassandrou Street, Thessaloniki. Credit: Ministry of Culture

Eight historical fountains successful the Upper Town (Ano Poli) of Thessaloniki person been restored, with h2o flowing again aft decades.

Culture Minister Mendoni emphasized that the restoration is simply a captious involution successful the city’s municipality fabric. “Our monuments should not beryllium static; they indispensable beryllium vibrant and integrated into regular life. The flowing h2o symbolizes a continuity of past and serves arsenic an antidote to the toxicity of our times.”

Mayor Angeloudis noted: “The top wealthiness of this ‘ageless’ metropolis is its taste heritage—the enactment of cultures, religions, and ethnicities,” helium noted. “These fountains person their ain stories to tell, and present those stories volition continue.”

Project details

The fountain astatine junction of Herodotou and Athinas Streets. Credit: Ministry of Culture

The €200,000 task progressive the restoration of 8 Ottoman-era fountains successful Thessaloniki’s 3rd Municipal District. Executed by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki, the enactment began successful December 2024. The 4 fountains delivered successful this last signifier are located at:

• 75 Olympiados Street
• The junction of Herodotou and Athinas Streets
• Kassandrou Street (Aladja Imaret)
• 18 Zisi Karadimou Street (Nouman Pasha)

The value of the fountains successful the past of Thessaloniki

The fountain astatine Olympiados Street. Credit: Ministry of Culture

The archetypal signifier of the project, which included the celebrated “Red Fountain” (Kokkini Vrysi) and 3 others, was completed and delivered to the nationalist successful September 2025. This inaugural is portion of a wider strategy to upgrade the nationalist abstraction of the Upper Town, offering an authentic acquisition of Thessaloniki’s centuries-old history.

In Islamic tradition, providing h2o to the thirsty is considered 1 of the highest forms of charity. The donors—often high-ranking officials oregon affluent citizens—believed that arsenic agelong arsenic the h2o flowed and radical drank, they would proceed to person spiritual blessings adjacent aft death.

Ottoman beingness successful Thessaloniki revolved astir the mosque, and ritual supplication requires wudu (ablution/washing). Fountains similar the 1 astatine Aladja Imaret weren’t conscionable for drinking; they were strategically placed to let the faithful to lavation earlier entering the ineffable space.

Before modern plumbing, the section fountain was the equivalent of the “water cooler.” It was the superior societal gathering constituent for the residents of the Ano Poli (Upper Town). Women, laborers, and travelers would congregate determination daily.

Related: Thessaloniki’s Ottoman Heritage Reborn: Iconic Bey Hamam Reopens