| Thessaloniki, the capital of Macedonia and second largest city of Greece.It was first established in 316 BC by Kassandros and named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great.It is here, that Paul, the Apostle of the Nations,first brought the message of Christianity (50 A.D.) and that Demetrius, a Roman officer died in martyrdom, thus becoming the holy patron of the city for ever (303 A.D.).Thessaloniki becomes the second important city of the Byzantine Empire, next to Konstantinople, ornamented with numerous majestic and glamorous architectural works that display all forms of Byzantine art.After this illustrious era, the enemies take over.But each time, after every catastrophe, Thessaloniki reexalts her splendor, dressed in her eternal garment of ancient and Byzantine glory. A fire in 1917 destroyed a very large part of the city leaving 80 000 inhabitants homeless. In 1978, an earthquake damaged most of the old buildings and Byzantine churches. |
| Must see: Today Thessaloniki is a modern city with its University and the International Fair. Large avenues, parks and squares, lines of trees that frame commercial streets with showy shop-windows,old houses, neoclassic buildings, and modern dwelings.The Upper City (Ano Poli), full of poetry and charm.Old neibourhoods with narrow streets and lovely small gardens.Yards with clothes-lines and children playing jauntily in front of open doors.Populr songs and the smell of night flowers.There are so many to see in Thessanoniki; The Palace of Galerius (300 A.D) at Navarino Square, the Roman Baths, the Nymphaion,the Galerian Arch (Kamara) erected short before 305 A.D.,destined to serve as a Pantheum or as a Mausoleum for emperor Galerius.The church of Ahiropoiitos and the church of Ossios David, the chapel of the Latomos Convent, are the two early Christian churches in Thessaloniki.The Walls were erected during the time of Theodosios the Great, the Eptapirgio and the White Tower, a work of the architect Sinan (first half of 16th century.Agios Dimitrios, was completely rebuilt in 1948 according to original plans.The church has been destroyed twice before by fire.The Crypt is the place where St.Dimitrios was imprisoned,
tortured and buried.Agia Sophia (8th century) marks the transition from the domed basilica to the domed crusiform church.Panagia Halkeon (1028 A.D.), Agia Ekaterini (13th century) Agiii Apostoli (14th century A.D.), Agios Nikolaos Orfanos (1 th century), Moni Vlatadon, Profitis Ilias. There also many Museums in Thessaloniki, the most important are: Archaeological Museum displaying sculpture of the archaic, classical and Roman periods.A special wing houses the impressive unique foundings of Vergina.The Museum of Ethonoligical and Popular art, the new museum of Byzantine Culture,the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, The White Towers's museum, Gallery of Fine Arts, Municipal Gallery, Museum of the Crypt, Museum of the Society for Macedonian Studies, Northern Greece Cultural Center, Macedonian Centre of Modern Art, Technical Museum of Thessaloniki,etc. |
