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Thessaloniki is Greece’s second largest city and it is beautifully situated along the Thermaikos Gulf. The city is the main city in the northern part of the country and one of the political, economic and cultural centers. Cultural life flourishes in the metropolis, which has over a million inhabitants.
It was Cassander of Macedonia who founded Thessaloniki in 315 BC, and he named the new city after his wife, Thessalonica, who was Alexander the Great’s sister. After its foundation, the city grew into an important city in the Roman Empire, and it was one of the most prosperous cities of the Byzantine Empire.
Thessaloniki’s long and rich history has meant that there is much to see from different eras. This is not least about the partially preserved city walls and churches and monastery, which together have put Thessaloniki on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. You can also see ruins from the Roman Empire and buildings from the Ottoman era.
In Thessaloniki you can see both old quarters with narrow streets and large landscaped squares, promenades and boulevards from the 20th century. You can also enjoy some exciting excursion destinations from the city, and they include Olympus, the former capitals Edessa and Vergina, as well as Athos, where only men have access.
This is the central square of Thessaloniki and therefore also a natural meeting place in the city. The square lies beautifully down to the sea and the city’s beautiful promenade along the water. It was designed by the French architect Ernest Hébrard in 1918, but was not completed until the 1950s.
The history of the square dates back to 1917, when a fire ravaged and destroyed most of Thessaloniki. Instead of simply rebuilding what was destroyed, Ernest Hébrard was hired to rethink the destroyed areas with a modern urban plan. From this came Aristotle Square, which was the center of Hébrard’s plan for a European city instead of the burnt city that had grown and built over the centuries under the Turkish Ottomans.
Along the sides of Aristotle Square, Hébrard designed large buildings as imposing facades, which had not been the case in Ottoman Thessaloniki. However, due to the Greek economy, the houses were built in less ornate versions than those the architect had planned. However, this does nothing for the overall impression of the elegant space, where you can, among other things, can find cafes, the Hotel Electra Palace and the Olympion theatre.
The White Tower is one of Thessaloniki’s landmarks. It stands along the water, which it was supposed to protect in its time, as it was part of a larger fortification. On the site there were Byzantine fortresses from the 12th century, while the White Tower originates from an Ottoman construction that was built to protect the city’s harbour. The fortress was built after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1430, and one theory is that it dates from the 1530s.
The White Tower is shaped like a cylinder with a diameter of 23 meters and a height of 34 meters. At the top there is a smaller tower with a height of 6 meters. The tower formed the easternmost part of the walls of Thessaloniki, and until 1917 it was enclosed by an outer ring wall.
Up until the end of the 19th century, the tower was called the Red Tower due to the torture and executions carried out by the Turkish Ottomans in the prison that was then set up here. When Thessaloniki became Greek in 1912, the tower was whitewashed as a symbol of purification, and it then got its current name.
Today, the White Tower is open to visitors, and on a visit you can admire the old fortress construction. You can also visit the local museum, which depicts the history of the city of Thessaloniki in an exciting way.
Since the foundation of Thessaloniki in the 3rd century BC. has the city been fortified. The city grew continuously, and so did its walls and other structures that have had to defend the city over time. Today you can see preserved parts of the impressive walls that were built in the late 4th century during the early Byzantine era.
Historically, the city walls enclosed the whole of Thessaloniki, where the city’s acropolis to the north was itself fortified with its own ring walls. The mighty walls stood until the 19th century, when the Turkish Ottomans had a large part of the old walls demolished in order to modernize the city. The entire wall facing the sea was, among other things, demolished on that occasion.
You can still see the old walls in several places in the street scene. A good place is the streets Agrafon and Stergiou Polidorou, where a large part of the northern walls with gates has been preserved. On this stretch lay both the city wall itself and also the wall around the old acropolis. If you follow the preserved wall to the northeast, you come to the Heptapyrgion fort. You can also see a longer piece of wall in Klavdianou street and follow the wall eastwards from here along Evrou street.
Ano Poli or the Upper Town is Thessaloniki’s old town. The neighborhood is located north of the modern centre, and it was here where the city’s acropolis was once established. The name acropolis is also known from Athens, and it is the term for fortified settlements on top of hills or rocks, and thus also in Thessaloniki.
In Ano Poli you can experience the atmosphere of bygone times in Thessaloniki. Here, the city’s character dates back to the Byzantines and the Ottomans, and most of their buildings were destroyed in the rest of the city by the great fire of 1917. Thus, you can walk around the narrow streets of Ano Poli and see houses in traditional Greek and Ottoman style. There are several sights along the streets and in the squares of Ano Poli.
You can see, for example, Byzantine baths from the 12th-13th centuries and a number of beautiful churches; The Church of the Prophet Elias/Ναός Προφήτη Ηλία, Saint Catherine Church/Αγία Αικατερίνη and Saint Nicholas the Orphan Church/Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Ὀρφανός, which all date from the 14th century. From the same period you can see Vlatades Monastery/Μονή Βλατάδων. You can also visit the Atatürk Museum/Μουσείο Ατατούρκ, located in the house where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881.
Hagios Demetrios is an impressive church from the time when Thessaloniki was the second largest city in the Byzantine Empire. The city was significant, and Hagios Demetrios was built and dedicated to Thessaloniki’s patron saint, Saint Demetrius.
In the past there were some Roman baths at this place, but at the beginning of the 4th century the first church was built. The church was expanded, but also destroyed several times by fires. In the years 629-634, a larger church was therefore built, and this is the one that you can basically still experience.
Hagios Demetrios is a beautiful building and a beautiful church space. It is best known for its preserved mosaics from the time before the iconoclasm in 730. The mosaics show Saint Demetrius, who together with others started the construction of the church. An inscription also tells of a Slavic attack in 615.
Like the city’s other churches, the Muslim Ottomans also turned Hagios Demetrios into a mosque after their conquest of Thessaloniki in 1430. However, the symbolic tomb of Saint Demetrius was kept open for the benefit of Christian visitors and pilgrims. After the Greek liberation, the church was naturally arranged again as a Christian church.
These two buildings date from around the year 300, when the Roman emperor Galerius had them built as parts of a quarter at his palace in Thessaloniki, of which archaeological excavations have also been carried out. The Arch of Galerius was the central one, and the important Roman road, the Via Egnatia, passed through the arch.
A large part of Galerius’ Arch is preserved to this day. You can even still see some of the original marble decoration with panels depicting the Roman victory in 299 over the Persians and their emperor Narseh. From the arch, colonnades originally led to the Rotunda in one direction and Galerius’s palace in the other. Today one has to be content with imagining the connection, but the Rotunda can still be seen.
In its time, the Rotunda was built with a dome with an opening, as is known from the Pantheon in Rome. However, through the building’s long use as a polytheistic temple, church, mosque and again church, it has been rebuilt on several occasions. For example, you can see a minaret that was built in the Muslim era. Today, the Rotunda functions as the Greek Church of Saint George/Άγιος Γεώργιος, which is the city’s oldest.
In the Thessaloniki skyline, you can easily see the OTE tower, which is 76 meters high. It was designed by the Greek architect Alexandros Anastasiadis, and the tower was completed as a television tower in 1966. Today, the tower is used as part of the city’s mobile network, and various events are regularly organized here.
As a tourist, one can enjoy one of Thessaloniki’s best views from the tower, where there is a revolving restaurant on the top floor of the building. From here there is a fine view of the sea and the city with its sights such as the White Tower.
The ancient Roman Forum of Thessaloniki is still centrally located in the city and today forms the northern axis of the street that starts at Aristotle’s Square along the sea. The axis was created by the architect Ernest Hébrard in his proposal for a new town plan in 1918. The Roman Forum was already established as the Greek agora before the Romans, but the current excavated structure dates from the time of the Roman Empire, when it was built in the 100s.
Today you can see the excavated ruins of old stoas, Roman baths and a small theater where, among other things, were gladiator fights. It is believed that the Forum and the theater were in use until the 5th century and possibly even longer. The exciting finds that have been made at the Roman Forum are on display at the local museum.
Heptapyrgion is a fortress that was built in the Byzantine era and which was expanded during the Ottomans. The name Heptapyrgion means the Fort with the 7 Towers, but despite the name there are 10 towers in the facility, where the Ottoman military governor and commander had his seat for centuries.
The exact time of construction of the fort is not known, but it is assumed that the five northernmost towers and walls date from the time of Emperor Theodosius at the end of the 3rd century, while the southern part of the Heptapyrgion is believed to be from the 12th century. Throughout the period, the fort was used for the defense of the city.
In the 1890s, the Ottomans set up Heptapyrgion as a prison, and in that connection the fort’s inner buildings were demolished. It was Thessaloniki’s primary prison, and new ones were built along the fortress walls for administration, women’s prison, etc. The prison was in use until 1989, and since then the old fort has been restored.
This is a modern cultural venue which was opened in the year 2000. The venue consists of two buildings named M1 and M2 respectively, where the largest auditorium is located in M1 which is inspired by Byzantine architecture. The M2 was designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. The building is beautifully located by the sea, and it regularly hosts concerts, operas, theater performances, conferences, etc.
Established in 1994, this museum aims to exhibit and study works and objects from eras before, during and after the Byzantine era in Thessaloniki; mainly from the geographical area of Macedonia.
The result is a series of fine permanent exhibitions where you can experience themes such as early Christian churches and cities, Byzantine emperors and the legacy of the Byzantine Empire. In the museum’s collections there is a very broad representation of finds and effects. Books, manuscripts, icons, coins, textiles, mosaics, paintings and sculptures are thus some of what you can see in the museum’s presentation of history.
At this interesting museum you can see fine archaeological collections from not least Thessaloniki and Macedonia. There are several themed exhibitions where, for example, you can look back at the prehistory of the area. You can also see finds such as statues and not least the gold treasures from Vergina. They are one of the museum’s greatest treasures.
The museum building is also interesting. It was built 1958-1962 and designed by the well-known Greek architect, Patroklos Karantinos. However, the museum has been expanded and rebuilt several times since 1962, but you can still see the lines of Karantinos’ design.
Dikastrion Square, whose name means Court Square, is the largest square in central Thessaloniki. It lies on the axis from Aristotle Square to the north, and on the southern part of the square you can see imposing buildings from Thessaloniki’s new town plan from 1918. The square itself is impressive in its size, and some of it is almost like a park. In the middle you can see a statue of the statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, and on the sides of him are two interesting buildings; Panagio Chalkeon Church and the Ottoman Paradise Baths.
Panagia Chalkeon is a Byzantine church from the 11th century that stands in the center of Thessaloniki. Above the western entrance there is an inscription that dates the church to the year 1028. The interior of the church is typical of both the time and the place, with a classic cross arrangement between four columns in a square room and three domes.
The church room is furnished with a narthex, naos and bema, which are the designations for respectively the vestibule, the nave and the sacred area of the choir behind, for example, an icon wall. The decoration was often repeated in early Christian and Byzantine churches. In the beautiful church room you can see various wall paintings. Some of them are the original ones from the early days of the church, while others are from the 14th century.
Panagio Chalkeon functioned as a church until 1430, when the Ottomans conquered Thessaloniki. After the conquest, the Muslim Ottomans converted the church into a mosque, which was used as such until 1912, when the area became Greek again. From that event, the church has been used as a church again.
The Bey Hamam, also known as the Paradise Baths, was the first Turkish bath built by the Ottomans after their conquest of Thessaloniki. The bath was built under Sultan Murad II in 1444 as a double bath, which meant that there was a section for men and one for women.
The Bey Hamam was a typical Turkish bath divided into three parts; the cool bath frigidarium, the warm bath caldarium, and the warm room tepidarium, in which one stayed between the cool and the warm bath. The building was in use under the name Paradisbadene right up to 1968. Today, the bath is used for, among other things, exhibitions.
Via Egnatia is one of the historic roads in the Greek area. Together with the Via Appia on the Italian peninsula, the Via Egnatia formed the thoroughfare between Rome and Byzantium, later Constantinople. Via Egnatia connected Dyrrachium, the current Dürres in Albania, on the Adriatic Sea with Byzantium via, among other things. Thessaloniki.
The Romans built the road to connect a number of Roman colonies from the Adriatic Sea to the Bosphorus. Over time it was an important transport route in the Roman Empire, and the Apostle Paul also used the road when he traveled from Philippi to Thessaloniki.
Roman armies also marched along the road when going into battle in the area, just as the overland crusades followed the Via Egnatia. Today, the Via Egnatia still runs through the center of Thessaloniki parallel to the sea.
At this museum you can learn about Macedonian history in the Greek region. In the exhibitions you can, among other things, find information and depictions of social, economic, political and military developments that collectively give a fine impression of the Greek freedom struggle against the Turkish Ottomans who ruled the area until 1912.
The museum building is a fine construction in neoclassicism from 1892-1893. It was the architect Ernst Ziller who designed the house. It was an important house in those days, as it was the seat of the Greek Consulate General in the city. Next to it was a Greek church, and the two buildings were a kind of Greek gathering place in the Ottoman-ruled city.
A church was already built on this site in the 200s. However, it was destroyed in 620, which is believed to have been caused by an earthquake. Later in the same century, the current Hagia Sofia was built, and it happened with the Hagia Sofia in Constantinople as a model. The church was set up as a mosque with the Muslim conquest of the city in 1430, but after the Greek liberation in 1912 it became a church again.
The church room is atmospheric, and there are several things to see here. In connection with the Byzantine image dispute, which played out twice in the 7th and 8th centuries, a mosaic was made in the apse of the church, which simply showed a cross. Similar had happened in, among other things Hagia Irene in Constantinople. After the victory of the icon followers, in 787-797 an icon of the Mother of God was made, which icons of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus are called.
In the dome of the church there are paintings of the twelve apostles, angels and the Virgin Mary, while the dome itself shows the Ascension of Christ. The building itself was constructed as a typical church of this period of the Byzantine era.
This is a Byzantine church from the 14th century. It was originally part of a larger complex and may therefore have been built as a monastery church. The date of construction is uncertain, but is believed by inscriptions to be in the 1310s or the late 1320s.
The interior of the church is typically constructed with four large columns, which divide the square space in a shape like a cross. At the top there are four domes around a larger central dome, and this architecture can be seen in many contemporary churches.
The interior is impressive with fine 14th century mosaics that found its inspiration from Constantinople. The mosaics are interesting as they were the latest to be made in Thessaloniki. They were also some of the latest in the Byzantine Empire. In addition to the mosaics, there are frescoes, which are also clearly inspired by the art of Constantinople.
The Muslim Ottomans converted the church into a mosque after their conquest of Thessaloniki and, following their usual practice, removed gold from mosaics before plastering the walls to hide the mosaics and frescoes. With the Greek liberation in 1912, the church was again used as a church, and the mosaics were carefully restored several times.
This large church is one of Thessaloniki’s newer churches and it is very worth seeing. The church was built after a fire in 1890 and dedicated to Gregor Palamas, who was Archbishop of Thessaloniki in the 14th century and who lived in the city from 1325-1359.
The church was completed in 1914, in it you can see the relics of Gregor Palamas and an overall beautiful interior with elegant decoration. The influence of Byzantine architecture is clearly seen, and it was built as the first domed church in Turkish-occupied Thessaloniki. It was the architect Ernst Ziller who designed the church.
At 2,917 meters, Olympus is Greece’s highest mountain. It is a mountain that consists of a long series of peaks, beautiful gorges, varied flora and a high degree of biodiversity. The highest peak also bears the name Mytikas/Μύτικας, and in Greek mythology it is in this place that the 12 Olympian gods live. One can enjoy a trip to Olympus in several ways.
The mountain massif is visible from a long distance, and it is worth seeing in itself. You can also choose to hike in several places on plains or in gorges to get closer to the mountain and experience nature.
Meteora is the name of a mountain area where you can see characteristic rock formations and experience some of the most important monasteries of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The monasteries are located on top of Meteora’s high rock pillars, from where there are fantastic views. The unique place is included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage.
In Meteora there are several monasteries that you can choose to see. The two largest monasteries are Great Meteoron/Μεγάλο Μετέωρο and Varlaam Kloster/Μονή Βαρλαάμ. Store Meteoron was founded around 1340 by a monk from Athos, while Varlaam dates from the 1540s. The monasteries are still active with resident monks, and in addition to the monastery and the location, you can enjoy the monastery churches of the places. You can also see perhaps the most spectacularly situated monastery, the Monastery of the Holy Trinity/Μονή Αγίας Τριάδας.
Athos is a mountain and a peninsula in Halkidiki. It is known for its monasteries and as an autonomous theocratic state established in 963 under Greek sovereignty. Athos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the special things about the place is that only monks and male visitors are allowed to come here.
It was the monk Athanasios who came to Athos in 958, and five years later he built a Protaton church in Karyes and founded the monastery that is still the largest of Athos’ today 20 monasteries. Today, Athos has self-government with an administrative center in Karyes, where the representative of Greece also has a seat.
Edessa is a city in northern Greece which was historically the first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia. It was also a city that lay on the important road, the Via Egnatia, that led from the Adriatic Sea to Byzantium. Remains of ancient Edessa can still be seen in excavations outside the modern city. You should also see Edessa’s famous waterfall when you are here. They are located in a lovely area on the eastern edge of town.
Vergina is a fairly new town. It was founded in 1922 after the population exchange between Greece and what is now Turkey. However, Vergina is best known for the historic town of Aigai/Αἰγαί, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Aigai was the capital of the Macedonian kingdom, and today you can see the place as a fine archaeological excavation.
A highlight of the excavations is the great palace, which was built under Philip II in the 3rd century BC. The palace is the largest building preserved from ancient Greece, and here you can, among other things, see exquisite mosaics. There are also many tombs in the area, with Philip II’s impressive tomb being the most impressive. Philip II was the father of Alexander the Great.
Philippi was a city founded around 360 BC. and expanded by Philip II of Macedonia. The city lay along the important Via Egnatia, which connected Byzantium with the Adriatic Sea and thereby Rome. The Romans also left their mark on Philippi by almost rebuilding the city according to the Roman model. Later, Philippi became one of the centers of early Christianity.
Today, the excavations of Filippi are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are quite a few preserved parts to see. The Roman forum formed the center of the city, and not far from here you can see the city’s relatively well-preserved old theater. You can also see the ruins of basilicas with e.g. fine floor mosaics.
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White Tower, Thessaloniki, Greece
Overview of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is Greece’s second largest city and it is beautifully situated along the Thermaikos Gulf. The city is the main city in the northern part of the country and one of the political, economic and cultural centers. Cultural life flourishes in the metropolis, which has over a million inhabitants.
It was Cassander of Macedonia who founded Thessaloniki in 315 BC, and he named the new city after his wife, Thessalonica, who was Alexander the Great’s sister. After its foundation, the city grew into an important city in the Roman Empire, and it was one of the most prosperous cities of the Byzantine Empire.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Author: Stig Albeck
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Language: English
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These two buildings date from around the year 300, when the Roman emperor Galerius had them built as parts of a quarter at his palace in Thessaloniki, of which archaeological excavations have also been carried out. The Arch of Galerius was the central one, and the important Roman road, the Via Egnatia, passed through the arch.
A large part of Galerius’ Arch is preserved to this day. You can even still see some of the original marble decoration with panels depicting the Roman victory in 299 over the Persians and their emperor Narseh. From the arch, colonnades originally led to the Rotunda in one direction and Galerius’s palace in the other. Today one has to be content with imagining the connection, but the Rotunda can still be seen.
In its time, the Rotunda was built with a dome with an opening, as is known from the Pantheon in Rome. However, through the building’s long use as a polytheistic temple, church, mosque and again church, it has been rebuilt on several occasions. For example, you can see a minaret that was built in the Muslim era. Today, the Rotunda functions as the Greek Church of Saint George/Άγιος Γεώργιος, which is the city’s oldest.
In the Thessaloniki skyline, you can easily see the OTE tower, which is 76 meters high. It was designed by the Greek architect Alexandros Anastasiadis, and the tower was completed as a television tower in 1966. Today, the tower is used as part of the city’s mobile network, and various events are regularly organized here.
As a tourist, one can enjoy one of Thessaloniki’s best views from the tower, where there is a revolving restaurant on the top floor of the building. From here there is a fine view of the sea and the city with its sights such as the White Tower.
The ancient Roman Forum of Thessaloniki is still centrally located in the city and today forms the northern axis of the street that starts at Aristotle’s Square along the sea. The axis was created by the architect Ernest Hébrard in his proposal for a new town plan in 1918. The Roman Forum was already established as the Greek agora before the Romans, but the current excavated structure dates from the time of the Roman Empire, when it was built in the 100s.
Today you can see the excavated ruins of old stoas, Roman baths and a small theater where, among other things, were gladiator fights. It is believed that the Forum and the theater were in use until the 5th century and possibly even longer. The exciting finds that have been made at the Roman Forum are on display at the local museum.
Heptapyrgion is a fortress that was built in the Byzantine era and which was expanded during the Ottomans. The name Heptapyrgion means the Fort with the 7 Towers, but despite the name there are 10 towers in the facility, where the Ottoman military governor and commander had his seat for centuries.
The exact time of construction of the fort is not known, but it is assumed that the five northernmost towers and walls date from the time of Emperor Theodosius at the end of the 3rd century, while the southern part of the Heptapyrgion is believed to be from the 12th century. Throughout the period, the fort was used for the defense of the city.
In the 1890s, the Ottomans set up Heptapyrgion as a prison, and in that connection the fort’s inner buildings were demolished. It was Thessaloniki’s primary prison, and new ones were built along the fortress walls for administration, women’s prison, etc. The prison was in use until 1989, and since then the old fort has been restored.
This is a modern cultural venue which was opened in the year 2000. The venue consists of two buildings named M1 and M2 respectively, where the largest auditorium is located in M1 which is inspired by Byzantine architecture. The M2 was designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. The building is beautifully located by the sea, and it regularly hosts concerts, operas, theater performances, conferences, etc.
Established in 1994, this museum aims to exhibit and study works and objects from eras before, during and after the Byzantine era in Thessaloniki; mainly from the geographical area of Macedonia.
The result is a series of fine permanent exhibitions where you can experience themes such as early Christian churches and cities, Byzantine emperors and the legacy of the Byzantine Empire. In the museum’s collections there is a very broad representation of finds and effects. Books, manuscripts, icons, coins, textiles, mosaics, paintings and sculptures are thus some of what you can see in the museum’s presentation of history.
At this interesting museum you can see fine archaeological collections from not least Thessaloniki and Macedonia. There are several themed exhibitions where, for example, you can look back at the prehistory of the area. You can also see finds such as statues and not least the gold treasures from Vergina. They are one of the museum’s greatest treasures.
The museum building is also interesting. It was built 1958-1962 and designed by the well-known Greek architect, Patroklos Karantinos. However, the museum has been expanded and rebuilt several times since 1962, but you can still see the lines of Karantinos’ design.
Dikastrion Square, whose name means Court Square, is the largest square in central Thessaloniki. It lies on the axis from Aristotle Square to the north, and on the southern part of the square you can see imposing buildings from Thessaloniki’s new town plan from 1918. The square itself is impressive in its size, and some of it is almost like a park. In the middle you can see a statue of the statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, and on the sides of him are two interesting buildings; Panagio Chalkeon Church and the Ottoman Paradise Baths.
Panagia Chalkeon is a Byzantine church from the 11th century that stands in the center of Thessaloniki. Above the western entrance there is an inscription that dates the church to the year 1028. The interior of the church is typical of both the time and the place, with a classic cross arrangement between four columns in a square room and three domes.
The church room is furnished with a narthex, naos and bema, which are the designations for respectively the vestibule, the nave and the sacred area of the choir behind, for example, an icon wall. The decoration was often repeated in early Christian and Byzantine churches. In the beautiful church room you can see various wall paintings. Some of them are the original ones from the early days of the church, while others are from the 14th century.
Panagio Chalkeon functioned as a church until 1430, when the Ottomans conquered Thessaloniki. After the conquest, the Muslim Ottomans converted the church into a mosque, which was used as such until 1912, when the area became Greek again. From that event, the church has been used as a church again.
The Bey Hamam, also known as the Paradise Baths, was the first Turkish bath built by the Ottomans after their conquest of Thessaloniki. The bath was built under Sultan Murad II in 1444 as a double bath, which meant that there was a section for men and one for women.
The Bey Hamam was a typical Turkish bath divided into three parts; the cool bath frigidarium, the warm bath caldarium, and the warm room tepidarium, in which one stayed between the cool and the warm bath. The building was in use under the name Paradisbadene right up to 1968. Today, the bath is used for, among other things, exhibitions.
Via Egnatia is one of the historic roads in the Greek area. Together with the Via Appia on the Italian peninsula, the Via Egnatia formed the thoroughfare between Rome and Byzantium, later Constantinople. Via Egnatia connected Dyrrachium, the current Dürres in Albania, on the Adriatic Sea with Byzantium via, among other things. Thessaloniki.
The Romans built the road to connect a number of Roman colonies from the Adriatic Sea to the Bosphorus. Over time it was an important transport route in the Roman Empire, and the Apostle Paul also used the road when he traveled from Philippi to Thessaloniki.
Roman armies also marched along the road when going into battle in the area, just as the overland crusades followed the Via Egnatia. Today, the Via Egnatia still runs through the center of Thessaloniki parallel to the sea.
At this museum you can learn about Macedonian history in the Greek region. In the exhibitions you can, among other things, find information and depictions of social, economic, political and military developments that collectively give a fine impression of the Greek freedom struggle against the Turkish Ottomans who ruled the area until 1912.
The museum building is a fine construction in neoclassicism from 1892-1893. It was the architect Ernst Ziller who designed the house. It was an important house in those days, as it was the seat of the Greek Consulate General in the city. Next to it was a Greek church, and the two buildings were a kind of Greek gathering place in the Ottoman-ruled city.
A church was already built on this site in the 200s. However, it was destroyed in 620, which is believed to have been caused by an earthquake. Later in the same century, the current Hagia Sofia was built, and it happened with the Hagia Sofia in Constantinople as a model. The church was set up as a mosque with the Muslim conquest of the city in 1430, but after the Greek liberation in 1912 it became a church again.
The church room is atmospheric, and there are several things to see here. In connection with the Byzantine image dispute, which played out twice in the 7th and 8th centuries, a mosaic was made in the apse of the church, which simply showed a cross. Similar had happened in, among other things Hagia Irene in Constantinople. After the victory of the icon followers, in 787-797 an icon of the Mother of God was made, which icons of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus are called.
In the dome of the church there are paintings of the twelve apostles, angels and the Virgin Mary, while the dome itself shows the Ascension of Christ. The building itself was constructed as a typical church of this period of the Byzantine era.
This is a Byzantine church from the 14th century. It was originally part of a larger complex and may therefore have been built as a monastery church. The date of construction is uncertain, but is believed by inscriptions to be in the 1310s or the late 1320s.
The interior of the church is typically constructed with four large columns, which divide the square space in a shape like a cross. At the top there are four domes around a larger central dome, and this architecture can be seen in many contemporary churches.
The interior is impressive with fine 14th century mosaics that found its inspiration from Constantinople. The mosaics are interesting as they were the latest to be made in Thessaloniki. They were also some of the latest in the Byzantine Empire. In addition to the mosaics, there are frescoes, which are also clearly inspired by the art of Constantinople.
The Muslim Ottomans converted the church into a mosque after their conquest of Thessaloniki and, following their usual practice, removed gold from mosaics before plastering the walls to hide the mosaics and frescoes. With the Greek liberation in 1912, the church was again used as a church, and the mosaics were carefully restored several times.
This large church is one of Thessaloniki’s newer churches and it is very worth seeing. The church was built after a fire in 1890 and dedicated to Gregor Palamas, who was Archbishop of Thessaloniki in the 14th century and who lived in the city from 1325-1359.
The church was completed in 1914, in it you can see the relics of Gregor Palamas and an overall beautiful interior with elegant decoration. The influence of Byzantine architecture is clearly seen, and it was built as the first domed church in Turkish-occupied Thessaloniki. It was the architect Ernst Ziller who designed the church.
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