Agias Sofias metro station

Αγίας Σοφίας Agias Sofias
General information
Location	Thessaloniki Greece
Coordinates	40°38′04″N 22°56′47″E
Owned by	Elliniko Metro
Line(s)
Platforms	1 (island)
Tracks	2
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Key dates
30 November 2024	Opened[1]
Services
Preceding station Thessaloniki Metro Following station Venizelou towards New Railway Station Line 1 Sintrivani towards Nea Elvetia Future service Venizelou towards New Railway Station Line 2 Sintrivani towards Mikra
Track layout Schematic only – not to scale.[2]
Location

Agias Sofias metro station (Greek: Αγίας Σοφίας, listen^ⓘ, lit. 'Holy Wisdom')^[3] is a metro station serving Thessaloniki Metro's Line 1 and Line 2. The station is named after the church of Hagia Sophia, located nearby. It entered service in 2024.^[4] Construction of this station has been held back by major archaeological finds, and it is designated as a high-importance archaeological site by Attiko Metro, the company overseeing its construction.^[5] Here, as well as at Venizelou, Roman Thessaloniki's marble-clad and column-lined Decumanus Maximus (main east–west avenue), along with shops and houses, was found running along the route of the Via Egnatia (modern Egnatia Street) at 5.4 metres (18 ft) below ground level.^[5][6] Additionally, a public square was also found at this station.^[5] The discovery was so major that it delayed the entire Metro project for years. A historian dubbed the discovery "the Byzantine Pompeii".^[7]

The nearby Church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for which the station is named.

Agias Sofias station features a mini museum within the station, similar to those of Athens Metro stations like Syntagma, which houses the Syntagma Metro Station Archaeological Collection.^[5] Unlike Venizelou, however, the archaeological finds is not kept in situ; they were disassembled and reassembled elsewhere.

The station also appears in the 1988 Thessaloniki Metro proposal.^[8]

References

1. "Θεσσαλονίκη: Μετρό από τα δυτικά μέχρι τη Θέρμη και την Περαία - Οι μελλοντικές επεκτάσεις με 26 νέους σταθμούς" [Thessaloniki: Metro from the west to Thermi and Perea - Future extensions with 26 new stations]. Makedonia (in Greek). Thessaloniki. 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
2. "Θεσσαλονίκη: Αυτό είναι το Κέντρο Ελέγχου Λειτουργίας του Μετρό" [Thessaloniki: This is the Operational Control Centre of the Metro] (in Greek). Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
3. Kaltsas, Chris (21 February 2024). "Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης: Ανακοινώνονται σύντομα οι νέες επεκτάσεις". Radio Thessaloniki (in Greek). Thessaloniki. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
4. "After 18 Years Construction, Thessaloniki's Metro Will Open in 2024". 5 October 2023.
5. Attiko Metro A.E. "Αρχαιολογικές ανασκαφές" [Archaeological excavations]. www.ametro.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 13 August 2018.
6. Skai TV. "Ιστορίες: Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης" [Stories: Thessaloniki Metro]. www.skai.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 13 August 2018.
7. Giorgos Christides (14 March 2013). "Thessaloniki metro: Ancient dilemma for modern Greece". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
8. "Κι όμως! Το ΜΕΤΡΟ Θεσσαλονίκης είναι έτοιμο (στα χαρτιά) από το 1987!" [It's true! The Thessaloniki Metro was ready (on paper) in 1987 already!]. www.karfitsa.gr (in Greek). 29 February 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

See also

• List of Thessaloniki Metro stations