Thessaloniki is poised to become the site of Greece’s second crematorium after a presidential decree authorizing its construction was published in the Government Gazette.
The decree paves the way for the development of a crematorium and related facilities at the city’s first cemetery.
Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “With the publication of the zoning plan approval in the Government Gazette, we can now move forward with all necessary procedures and quickly begin the process of seeking bids for the construction of the crematorium.”
He added that after “years of stagnation,” the city was finally taking a “decisive step” to ensure individuals have the right to choose between burial and cremation.
Greece’s first crematorium opened in 2019 in Ritsona, Viotia, nearly 15 years after cremation was legalized in the country. However, the practice faces opposition from the Orthodox Church of Greece, which condemns it as a “desecration of the dead.”
Greek government approves Greece’s first crematorium