Best of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is a different city from Athens but no less sophisticated. This city has given Greece some of its greatest musicians, artists, poets and thinkers. It has some of the most beautiful beaches and has some of the finest hotels and best restaurants in northern Greece.

One of the finest museums in Europe, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is a house of treasures with a wonderful collection of artefacts from Neolithic times and marvellous sculptures from the Archaic to the Late Roman period. In addition the huge collection includes spectacular mosaics, some delicate Hellenestic glass, the incredible treasures of the tomb of Alexander the Great’s father which was discovered at Vergina in 1977 and the only intact ancient papyrus found in Greece, discovered in Derveni’s tomb. Also the museum provides a thorough and unforgettable exhibition of Thesssaloniki’s history and surrounding areas.

Ancient urns in Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Greece

The White Tower, once known as the Bloddy Tower, has become the most recognized landmark of Thessaloniki and once stood with other surrounding the medieval city, until Ottoman Turks destroyed all in 1866. It was built in the 15th century as part of a sea fortification and served as a defensive bulwark, an infamous prison, a place of execution and now is home to a wonderful collection of sculptures, frescoes and other interesting artefacts from 300 to 1400 AD portraying the amazing history and culture of the city. During Ottoman occupation it became a symbol of terror because of the gruesome executions of prisoners that took place there. After the city's liberation the tower was whitewashed as if to purify it from the blood that so often covered it, thus the name "White Tower". The tower is white no longer, and it houses the "Museum of History and Art of Thessaloniki".

Roman Forum is located in Dikasterion Square, near to one of the city’s main bus terminals and lies the archaeological site of ancient Greek Agora or marketplace, which was expanded to become a Roman forum on two levels. Discovered by workmen in 1960, the forum was the heart of the ancient city. The theatre is still used for occasional summer concerts and it is the best preserved component of Roman forum.

Roman Forum in Thessaloniki, Greece

Rotunda was built in 306 AD as the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Galerius. After it became in a church dedicated to St. George and in 4th century wonderful mosaics were added. Rotunda serves as a mosque for the Ottomans, now houses Christian art and occasionally holds art exhibitions and concerts.

Located at the east end of Hermes Street, Aghia Sofia is a beautiful Christian church modelled on the magnificent Aghia Sofia church in Istanbul. It marks the transition the domed basilica to the domed cruciform church.

It is a rectangular church, with a cross-in-square nucleus, which is covered with a dome. It is surrounded by a U-shaped ambulatory on the three sides, while the east is occupied by the tripartite sanctuary. The present architectural form of the monument is in many aspects, quite different from the original 7th century structure.

Built in the 8th century, the church contains superb mosaics and wall paintings. In the next two centuries, it was decorated with new figural mosaics, including the Mother of God in the apse (replacing the earlier Cross) and a wonderful mosaic of the Ascencion. During the Turkish occupation it became a mosque, the Aya Sofya Camii. It was restored after a fire in 1890 and survived the great fire of 1917 unscathed. A graceful Turkish porch was destroyed in an Italian air raid in 1941, and the church was badly damaged in the 1978 earthquake.

The Byzantine church of Aghia Sofia - Thessaloniki.

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