Europa Nostra: Greece’s ‘Konaki’ Mansion on Most Endangered Sites 2023 Shortlist

The Mansion (“Konaki”) of Gidas, located in the small town of Alexandreia close to Thessaloniki is among the 11 most threatened heritage sites in Europe shortlisted for the 2023 edition of the “7 Most Endangered” program of Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank.

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year, the program, which is also supported by the EU’s Creative Europe scheme, aims to highlight the outstanding heritage significance and cultural value of each of the shortlisted sites as well as the serious danger that they are facing today.

The Mansion (“Konaki”) of Gidas, a fine example of late Ottoman architecture in Northern Greece, has been left unoccupied and in a state of ruin for several decades, with the local community, the Municipality of Alexandreia and other organizations joining forces to nominate the mansion for the “7 Most Endangered” Program 2023.

The Mansion (“Konaki”) of Gidas. Photo source: Europa Nostra/ Yorgos Mertzanides.

The nomination was made by a young member of Europa Nostra Yorgos Mertzanides with the support of the Architecture Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Elliniki Etairia – Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ELLET), Europa Nostra’s country representation in Greece.

“The Mansion of Gidas today shows significant damage and deterioration, yet it preserves all its original features, and its restoration is still feasible,” said the Advisory Panel of the “7 Most Endangered” program.

Built in the early 20th century, the mansion showcased the skills of wandering Balkan craftsmen and was an administrative and social center for the local estate. It was also the residence of area’s local landowner.

According to the panel the “rehabilitation of the Mansion of Gidas will give the city an important historical site documenting the Ottoman element, which is interwoven with the local cultural identity”.

The full shortlist of the 11 most endangered monuments and heritage sites in Europe for 2023 include:

• Kortrijk Railway Station, Kortrijk, Belgium
• Domain and Royal Museum of Mariemont, Morlanwelz, Belgium
• Partisan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Tchakvinji Fortress, Zugdidi, Georgia
• Sisters’ House Ensemble, former Moravian settlement in Kleinwelka, Germany
• Mansion (“Konaki”) of Gidas, Alexandreia, Greece
• Herman Ottó Museum, Miskolc, Hungary
• Memento Park, Budapest, Hungary
• Cultural Landscape of Paštrovska Gora, Montenegro
• Cultural Landscape of Sveti Stefan, Paštrovići, Montenegro
• Watermills of Bistrica, Petrovac na Mlavi, Serbia

“This shortlist covers a wide variety of monuments and heritage sites which are facing different types of serious threats,” said Executive President of Europa Nostra, Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger calling on local, regional, national and European stakeholders to join forces with Europa Nostra to secure a viable future for these sites.

The final list of 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe for 2023 will be announced in April.