Amphipolis tomb to be opened in 2020, minister says

The Amphipolis Tomb, a massive burial mound complex dating to the era of Alexander the Great near the ancient city of Amphipolis in Greece's northern Macedonia region, will be opened to the public in 2020, the country's culture minister has said.

"It is a very complex monument that requires step-by-step restoration and additional studies depending on what is unearthed [from excavations]," Lydia Koniordou said on Wednesday.

"Work will be constantly monitored," she added.

Koniordou said that restoration works will be financed by the Central Macedonia regional authority (1.5 million euros) and the European Union's regional development program known as Interreg (1.3 million euros).

She said the funds earmarked for the project should be enough to make the tomb accessible to visitors, "but not for all [necessary works]."