Greece’s Ioannina Castle Now Accessible to Visitors with Disabilities

Entrance to Ioannina Castle.

Ioannina Castle, the fortified old town of the city of Ioannina in northwestern Greece, is now accessible to visitors with disabilities, the Greek Culture Ministry recently announced.

According to the ministry, restoration and upgrade works have connected the Northeast Acropolis with the southeastern citadel, the Its Kale, creating a unified archaeological site fully accessible to people with disabilities or limited mobility.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said works and studies were underway at the site aiming to change the appearance of the Castle and contribute to the city’s upgrade.

Northeastern Acropolis. Photo source: Culture Ministry

“Through specific interventions, the quality of life of residents is upgraded and the cultural reserve and multicultural identity of the region are showcased in a coherent and unified way,” she said.

Mendoni went on to add that restoration projects are being implemented on monuments located inside the Northeast Acropolis, the Ottoman-built Aslan Pasha Mosque, the Madrasah, the Ottoman Library and the Ottoman Baths.

The Fethiye Mosque, located in the southeastern section of the citadel (Its Kale).

“The aim is to upgrade the entire Northeastern Acropolis so that it is connected and stands out equally with the Southeastern Acropolis of Its Kale,” said Mendoni adding that a key priority of the works has been “the improvement of accessibility, a necessary condition for the upgrade and functional integration of the castle into the urban fabric of the city”.

Ottoman library. Photo source: Culture Ministry

“The unification of the two fortresses and the creation of a single archaeological and cultural site is the subject of a strategic development plan carried out by the ministry in collaboration with the Ioannina Municipality for the promotion and sustainable utilization of the Ioannina Castle as an emblematic monumental complex,” she concluded.

Plans were announced in 2020 for the Ioannina Castle, to be restored into cultural park.