Macedonian Tomb of Derveni (Makridi Bey)
The Macedonian Tomb of Derveni is a monument of exceptional beauty on the outskirts of the city.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1993 The new archaeological research began and was completed three years later.
2015 The restoration of the monument was completed.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
1910 Discovered and excavated.
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Constructed around the end of 4th century BC.
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
To the northwest of the city, there is a two-chambered tomb, one of the oldest and largest of its kind and is made of limestone. The vestibule and the chamber have different size and their roof has the shape of an arch. The chamber’s dimensions are about 4x5m, its side walls are about 3.4m high and consist of 9 layers of bricks. On the east side of the chamber lies the 1.32 m high sarcophagus. The vestibule has dimensions of 5.4 x 2.6m and the floor is very well preserved. The hill of the tomb was artificial, which means the tomb was covered with soil. When it was discovered, it was a fragmented monument and after systematic work and study, was largely reconstructed, without losing its authenticity. The modern construction protects the monument from weather conditions and soil erosion.
What I can't see
It is also called the Tomb of Makridi Bey, by the Greek-born Ottoman Theodoros Makridis, who discovered it when the city still belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The tomb was intended for one dead and when it was discovered it was already looted. The few findings and the double-leaf marble door are in the museum of Istanbul. Archaeologists found a tomb in very poor condition and the Ionic-style façade had collapsed since antiquity. It had 2 adjoining four-columns that supported the entablature and the pediment. The drum of the pediment was yellow, framed by violet colour. The capitals, the entablature and the cornice were red and blue.
Bibliography
http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/gh251.jsp?obj_id=19945
Last visit 1/2/2020
Zafeiris Ch. (1997), Θεσσαλονίκης Εγκόλπιον, ιστορία, πολιτισμός, η πόλη σήμερα, γεύσεις, μουσεία, μνημεία, διαδρομές, [Thessaloniki Handbook, history, culture, the city today, flavours, museums, routes], Athens: Exantas
Themelis P.G., Touratsoglou G.P., (1997) Οι Τάφοι του Δερβενίου, [Tombs of Derveni] Athens: Publication of the Archaeological Resources and Expropriations Fund
Tsaktsira L, Papanthimou K., Mantziou G., Kalogirou N., (2014), Θεσσαλονίκη, η πόλη και τα μνημεία της, [Thessaloniki, the city and its monuments], Thessaloniki: Malliaris Pedia
Open House Thessaloniki, (2019), Μακεδονικός Τάφος, [Macedonian Tomb], OHTh