The prison functioned until 1989 , when it was moved outside the city . The site was then taken over by the Ministry of Culture and the regional Byzantine archaeology service , the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine and Modern Antiquities , which moved some of its offices there . The ephorate had already been active in the restoration works of 1973 on the north-eastern curtain wall , and then again between 1983 and 1985 in the restoration of the damages caused by an earthquake in 1978
earthquake in 1978
1978 Thessaloniki earthquake
Heptapyrgion (Thessaloniki)