New subway system in Greece puts archaeological finds discovered during construction on display for passengers

A yearslong construction project for a new subway system in Thessaloniki, Greece, has unveiled thousands of ancient artifacts, many of which have been incorporated into the metro station's design in a unique way. 

Construction of the Agias Sofias metro station in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece behind the capital city of Athens, began in 2003. 

Since construction commenced on the 9.6-kilometer line over a decade ago, excavations have led to thousands of significant ancient finds being unearthed. 

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Ancient finds that were discovered varied from Roman-era roads and water and drainage systems to Greek burial sites, mosaics and more. 

Many of the ancient discoveries made through excavations of the area are being incorporated into the design of the subway system by being displayed at the 13 underground stations along the route. 

"This project offers a remarkable blend of the ancient and modern, integrating archaeological heritage with metro infrastructure," Christos Staikouras, the transport and infrastructure minister, told reporters Friday, according to The Associated Press. 

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The discovery of these ancient treasures led the project to be more expensive, and has also caused several delays in order to preserve the archaeological finds. 

"The project faced substantial delays and many challenges, including over 300,000 archaeological finds, many of which are now showcased at various stations along the main line," Staikouras explained. 

At this point, the brand-new metro, featuring driverless trains and platform screen doors, cost $3.1 billion to complete. 

The first line of the subway system is set to open on Nov. 30, 2024, with the second line on its way in a year. 

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This subway system will become one on a long list of archaeological sites throughout Greece. 

Greece is home to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, which is widely considered to be one of the world's most important archaeological museums, and is also the largest museum in Greece. 

The city of Thessaloniki is home to its own archaeological sites, including the Archaeological Museum of Thessalonki, as well as the Polycentric Museum of Aigai. 

The White Tower, the Museum of Byzantine Culture and the Agios Dimitrios Church are among the other historical destinations throughout Thessaloniki. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.