The palace famous for the coronation of Alexander the Great has been opened in Greece.

The restoration of the historical site required 20 million euros

Greece has rediscovered the ancient palace where Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia some 2,400 years ago after the historic site underwent restoration.

The Aigai Palace, officially known as the royal metropolis of the Macedonians, was the largest building in classical Greece, covering an area of ​​about 15,000 square meters, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture.

As CNN tells it, the palace was primarily built by Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedon, in the 4th century BC.

“This is the place where Alexander the Great was crowned shortly after the assassination of his father to begin his glorious campaign,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the palace opening ceremony on Friday.

During the reign of Alexander, this king-commander conquered a vast territory stretching from modern Greece to Egypt, Iran and all the way to northern India and Central Asia.

His empire, then unprecedented in Western history, marked the beginning of what historians call the Hellenistic period, which lasted from his death until the rise of the Roman Empire, CNN recalls.

The conquests of Alexander the Great laid the foundation for Greek influence in the eastern Mediterranean for the next 1000 years. Many important texts in the region, including early versions of the New Testament, were written in Greek.

The Romans destroyed the palace in 148 BC and it was frequently plundered in the following years.

Reconstructing the birthplace of such an impressive empire was no easy task, CNN notes. It took the Greek government 16 years, with help from the European Union, and more than 20 million euros ($21.9 million), according to the Greek Ministry of Culture.

“What we are doing today is an event of global significance and international scope,” said Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis.

Restoration work included excavation of the excavation site, documentation and conservation of discovered artifacts. The Greek government restored 1,400 square meters of mosaics, marble floors and some columns, while maintaining the general appearance of the ruins, the country’s culture ministry said.

“The importance of such monuments goes beyond local boundaries, becoming the property of all humanity. And we, as custodians of this precious cultural heritage, must protect it, highlight it, promote it and at the same time expand the horizons opened by each new facet,” emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis.