GREECE_IS_THESS_2021_2022 by GREECE IS

TRAVEL, CULTURE, GASTRONOMY & MORE

Thessaloniki

W W W. G R E E C E - I S . C O M

ISSUE #50 | THESSALONIKI | THE 2022 EDITION

ISSUE #50 | THE 2022 EDITION TA K E Y O U R F R E E C O P Y

ARISTO TLE UN IVERSITY: A FORCE FOR INNOVATION EX O C H ES : D IVIN G IN T O HISTORY — THE CITY IN FIVE WALKS F O O D IE G UID E — X INOM AVRO, THE GRAPE OF THE NORTH

WELCOME

A BETTER TOMORROW? BY GIORGOS TSIROS

AS 2021 BEGAN DRAWING to a close – and after a very tough year on the

pandemic front – Thessaloniki got some great news from UNESCO: it became the first Greek city to join the United Nations’ global network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy. The aim of this network is to promote cultural diversity and sustainable development in the food and restaurant industries through the exchange of know-how and resources. That Thessaloniki has a massive culinary heritage stemming from all the many different influences and cultures that converged here is not news. But this distinction from UNESCO is a reminder of the comparative advantages and huge – largely untapped – potential of a city that is still trying to synchronize its creative forces and set the tempo of its growth. There’s nothing missing from Thessaloniki. It has 15 World Heritage sites dating from early Christian times (4th century) to the late Byzantine period (13th14th century), an incredible seafront, and it's compact and easy to get around. The pace of life is just right; it has the youthful energy that comes from its large student population and the noteworthy scientific community that's being developed at the Aristotle University. There's an abundance of creative drive here, and a brand of joie de vivre that's unique to the city. That said, it also suffers from bitter disappointments, lost opportunities and unfinished endeavors, which have bred a certain amount of skepticism. Thessaloniki does not want kudos; it wants to see the ambitious plans for its future brought to fruition. From the creation of the metro to the renovation of the Helexpo fairgrounds, and from the completion of the new pier that will make the port a container hub for southeastern Europe to the ambitious road works that will solve its chronic traffic problems, Thessaloniki needs these projects to get done. A few days before this issue went to press, plans were announced for the most ambitious and complex of these undertakings: the development of a unified, 40-kilometer coastal stretch that will skirt the entire Thermaic Gulf bay, from Angelochori in the southwest to Kalochori in the northwest, with dozens of restoration activities and zoning changes that will maximize what is, perhaps, the metropolitan area's greatest asset – its proximity to the water. Getting all this done may take time and effort – but the city deserves it, in spades.•

CONTENTS

GREECE IS — ISSUE#5O — THESSALONIK I — THE 2022 EDITION

8 CIT Y REPORT In the making: Even in the darkest hours of the pandemic, Thessaloniki has reasons to expect a brighter future.

20 THE COOL FACTOR Six city influencers offer tips and share secrets.

24 IN PICTURES Photographer Olga Deikou captures magic urban moments.

30 WHAT ’S ON Highlights from the city’s cultural calendar.

38 THE CIT Y IN FIVE WALKS Make the most of your city break.

52 FOODIE GUIDE New and classic gastronomic spots abound in this culinary capital.

66 THE SOUND OF THE CIT Y

74 TIMELESS BY Z ANTINE CIT Y Thessaloniki offers a brilliant showcase of the evolution of Byzantine art and architecture, spanning centuries of the city’s remarkable history.

24 80 MEMORIES & MANSIONS Exploring the area known as Exoches, once a fashionable multilingual hub of activity, now famous for its impressive architecture, cultural institutions and charming cafés.

94 ARISTOT LE UNIVERSIT Y OF THESSALONIKI Southeastern Europe’s largest institute of higher education cultivates innovation and opens its doors to the international student community.

108 STUDENT LIFE A coming-of-age story.

A musical guide to Thessaloniki, from its glorious past to its superb present.

www.internistore.com · www.modabagno.gr · T. 210 8036700 · www.baxter.it

CONTENTS

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112 112 XINOMAVRO COUNT RY Amyntaio-Naoussa: A road trip through Greece’s most rapidly developing wine region.

120 IN THE SHADOW OF ATHOS A tour of the Holy Mountain, without gender discrimination or formalities.

126 AIGAI REACHES NEW HEIGHT S New light is being shed on Alexander the Great, his father Philip, the site of Aigai and all of ancient Macedonia, as Vergina awaits a vast archaeological park.

134 MT OLY M PUS We climbed the three highest points on the mountain of the gods in one day.

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THE 2022 EDITION

ON THE COVER Illustration: ANNA TZORTZI

EXPLORE MORE

SELECTED STORIES F ROM OUR WEBSITE

10 STOPS IN JEWISH THESSALONIKI Explore the heritage of a once vibrant community through salvaged buildings and spots linked to the Holocaust.

BOUGATSA FROM SCRATCH A no-fail recipe for the emblematic Thessaloniki street food

MADE IN THESSALONIKI: TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION

BEST THEMED WALKING TOURS The people behind them talk about their own personal city highlights.

Creative enterprises that marry timeless values with contemporary style.

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IN THE MAKING Thessaloniki maintains a delicate balance between the harsh reality of the ongoing pandemic and its ambitious plans for a brighter future. B Y J O H N PA PA D I M I T R I O U

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NEW LOOK Aristotelous Square by night, as envisioned in the Wnew plans.

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CITY REPORT

A VENUE OF THE THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL

I LOOKED ON AS Asterios Sousouras, own-

er of the acclaimed seafood restaurant Trizoni at Kriopigi in Halkidiki, tasted the thick rockfish soup with undivided attention the day before the official opening of Trizoni Sea Treasures in the Ladadika district of Thessaloniki. His anxiety was understandable; for years, he'd been preparing his opening in the city, but between the financial crisis and the pandemic, it never seemed to be the right time for taking the next step and building on the reputation of his summer restaurant. Even now, it was not the best time. On the day the new restaurant opened, in mid-November, Thessaloniki was recording 8,000 COVID-19 cases each week and its hospitals were at breaking point. Nevertheless, something almost metaphysical is happening this year in the capital of Macedonia, as if there is some invisible force which, against all adversity, is propelling the city into the future, just as Asterios was impelled to take the most important business decision of his life. The truth is that Thessaloniki has grown weary of the never-ending “Coming Soon,” that is, the 1 0 — GREECE IS

situation in which a promised future never materializes. The most characteristic example being the Metro, which since 2004 has been plagued with delays, and even today nobody knows exactly when it will start running. According to the latest information from the contractor, the project will be delivered in December 2023. Despite this, 2021 is a year in which the private and public sectors have found a common pace of development. The former embarked on a return to investment, particularly in tourism, real estate, and technology. The keenly awaited inauguration of the offices of Pfizer’s digital innovation hub has generated optimism, since according to estimates from the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE), once fully operational, this investment will add at least €650 million to the city’s GDP and create around 1,100 jobs in northern Greece. Thessaloniki Municipality, the main public sector body in the region, has succeeded not only in restarting projects that had stalled for years, such as the regeneration of Aristotelous Square and the main street that crosses

THE 2022 EDITION

it, which aspires to change the face of the city, but also in successfully completing international tenders on time. One example is the redevelopment of the International Exhibition Center, which is expected to be ready for use in 2026, and also includes the creation of a metropolitan park. “After years of inertia and time lags in the main areas of infrastructure and redevelopment, Thessaloniki has entered a phase in which it is laying claim to, securing funding for, and vigorously planning its future. The goal of our long-term planning is for the city to have fully regained its historical dynamic by 2030, making optimum use of all its advantages,” says Konstantinos Zervas, the mayor of Thessaloniki. Over our morning coffee, with traffic-congested Tsimiski Street in the background, Zervas adds that important interventions have been planned for 2022. These include the bidding competition for studies on the widening of the promenade deck along the Old Waterfront; the invitation to tender for the Dioikitiriou Square project, which has remained in limbo since 1992; and the competition, with a budget of €2 million, for the maintenance of the New Waterfront, or Nea Paralia, where the picture today is one of abandonment, with neglected gardens and empty fountains.

BEETROOT

MODIANO MARKET

RETURN OF EVENT S Despite a decrease in January-October visitor arrivals by approximately 2 million compared to 2019, as well as a 45% drop in hotel occupancy in the first eight months of 2021, Thessaloniki showed remarkable resilience from September onwards. This was mainly due to the physical return of major events that were sorely missed in the previous year. The 85th Thessaloniki International Fair attracted not only the country’s political elite, but also dozens of startups that had the opportunity to introduce themselves at pavilions dedicated to robotics and digital technology respectively. Although total attendance was down compared to previous years, limited to under 90,000 visitors, the reopening of the Fair set a positive tone. The Fair was followed in October by Beyond 4.0, the country’s first

exhibition of cutting-edge technology and innovation, with “The Future of Artificial Intelligence” as its main theme. In its debut edition, Beyond 4.0 hosted 180 exhibitors, 30% of which were startups, attracting participants from 10 countries, and with high attendance at its separate events, effectively laying the foundations for the city’s development into an innovation hub in southeast Europe. “Thessaloniki has the potential to be the digital hub of the wider region and help the Greek ecosystem develop further and become even more outward-looking. It is our hope in a few years to see at Beyond 4.0 figures who are shaping the future, such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who have attended the web summit in Barcelona," explains Michalis Stangos, founder of Industry Disruptors – Game Changers, one of the co-organizers.

CITY REPORT

A CRUCIAL SECTOR The Modiano Market, the covered central food market of Thessaloniki, which was built after the great fire of 1917 and opened in 1930, has remained closed since 2019. The Fais Group, which purchased the landmark in July 2017 for €1.9 million, aims to transform the listed building into a venue for social gatherings, culture and entertainment. The new version will feature a quality multicultural market, which in addition to greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers, will also house pop-up events, gastronomy festivals and musical performances.

“As a city whose economic life relies heavily on catering, Thessaloniki was hit particularly hard by the successive lockdowns of the past 18 months. But it is this sector, catering, that is playing a leading role in the city’s comeback. The complete overhaul of the Modiano Market and its transformation into a multi-functional space of diverse flavors and experiences similar to the San Miguel Market in Madrid, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else in Greece, will give fresh impetus to the city’s gastronomy scene and attract new investments,” notes Angelos Vassos, managing editor of Citymag Thessaloniki, putting the final touches to the second issue of Taste, a magazine dedicated to gastronomy. Although the pandemic has slammed the catering sector, “with 10% of food and drink establishments

AGHIOI APOSTOLOI

TRIZONI

having closed permanently,” according to Ioannis Filokostas, president of Thessaloniki’s association of restaurant owners, new investments have not been put on hold. The Olympos-Naoussa, for example, the epicenter of cosmopolitan life in Thessaloniki until 1994, when it closed, and the favorite dining venue of statesmen Konstantinos Karamanlis and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, is planning to once again welcome diners in spring 2022. It will be housed on the ground floor of the ON Residence Hotel, which will also offer 60 luxury rooms, a modern fitness gym, a specially designed area for business meetings, and the Tiger Loop cocktail bar. “We are expecting visitors who prefer to stay in the center and discover it on foot, and who also appreciate quality cuisine,” says Ismini Tornivouka, vice president of Operations at Tor Hotel Group, which is participating in the €20 million investment along with Grivalia Hospitality.

Events continued in early November with the 62nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival returning to theaters after two years. With a total of 68,000 viewers and 193 screenings, it once again highlighted the city as a vibrant cradle of culture. The end of the festival coincided with the completion of the three-day tourism trade fair Philoxenia-Hotelia, a platform for the promotion of destinations all over Greece. This year’s highlights included the presentation of two major projects that will strengthen the city’s tourism identity and are expected in 2022: the renovation of the Modiano Market and the historic restaurant Olympos-Naoussa.

OLYMPOS-NAOUSSA

“THE GOAL OF OUR LONG -TERM PL ANNING IS FOR THE CIT Y TO HAVE FULLY REGAINED ITS HISTORICAL DYNAMIC BY 2030, MAKING OPTIMUM USE OF ALL ITS ADVANTAGES,” SAYS THE MAYOR. 1 2 — GREECE IS

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The gastronomic mosaic of Thessaloniki, which this year became the first Greek city to join UNESCO’s Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy, is set to be completed by two more important arrivals, expected by the end of 2021 or early 2022. The Iberico – the latest project of the Sotiroudis brothers, owners of Marea and Glykaniso – is eagerly awaited by meat lovers, while Moldee, on Proxenou Koromila Street, the joint project of chefs Vasilis Mouratidis, Sofoklis Maragoudakis and Gaetan Biesuz, will offer a menu of creative cuisine with the flavors of Greece and the Mediterranean.

THE DESIGN DISTRICT While Thessaloniki may live and breathe gastronomy, which explains why new eateries are constantly popping up, such as those in the increasingly popular neighborhood near the Church of the Holy Apostles (the new café-bar The Little Cup is a must), the city also has a long history in design. Beetroot, an award-winning design firm with an international clientele, moved in September from Kalamaria to the listed inn of Ismail Pasha at the intersection of Syngrou, Paikou and Valaoritou streets. It is a two-story building dating to 1905, with elements of eclecticism, which the firm has renovated and plans to turn into the central hub of the design district. Directly opposite, on Paikou Street, the team will be opening a restaurant, while on the ground floor of the building there will be a small retail store selling Greek food products and a café-gift shop with their own creations. There are even facilities for hosting groups of design students who, as they work, will be able to consult Beetroot’s personnel. “By the next decade, we hope to have laid the foundations for an ecosystem of people and spaces that generate aesthetics and culture, educate... and attract visitors from all over the world,” says Vangelis Liakos, co-founder of Beetroot. “This is the design district we are dreaming of.”• 1 4 — GREECE IS

VANORO HOTEL The newest addition on the Thessaloniki hospitality map, Vanoro is housed an Art Deco building from 1937 on the edge of the historic center that served as a tobacco warehouse until the late 1960s. It has 45 spacious rooms and suites decorated in minimalist earthy tones, and has made a point of providing comfortable beds, quality personal care products and free espresso coffee. The façade has been restored in its original style, while the interior is strikingly illuminated by a cool spiral light sculpture. The hotel has a wellness and relaxation center, a well-equipped gym, a convenient conference hall and a lounge bar and restaurant, Anza, where talented chef Kiriakos Mitsopoulos presents creative Mediterranean dishes with distinctive Greek influences, like his carrot soup with shrimp and crispy prosciutto from Thrace. You can choose from one of 300 wines or a premium cocktail to go with your meal. The restaurant also serves breakfast, which consists of three à la carte options (Greek, European and Wellness). Info: Vanoro Hotel From: €95/double with breakfast Address: 6 Dodekanisou Tel. (+30) 2310.553.283 Web: vanorohotel.com

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new arrivals

CITY REPORT

The ground floor of Bensousan Han, the oldest surviving inn in Thessaloniki, has been transformed into a modern gallery and renamed 99 Boxes. The space had originally served as stables 200 years ago and since the 1930s hosted a number of businesses, including a spice store, until it closed in 1980. It reopened in 2013 as a vintage furniture rental store used mainly for film productions. Now, the old spice shop’s 99 shelves – hence the place’s name – feature work by artists from all over the world. “It is an open invitation to artists to come show their work, whether they are painters and sculptors or modern designers,” explains Stylianos Dokouz, the gallery’s artistic director. Exhibits include the unconventional clay houses of Sotiria Samara, which look like something out of a fairy tale, the colorful mosaics of Lili Stambouli, and an impressive painting of skulls by Italy’s Manuel Baldassare. Info: Bensousan Han, 99 Boxes Gallery Address: 6 Edessis, Ano Ladadika Tel. (+30) 698.424.4577 Hours: Mon-Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-15:00

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ERGON AGORA EAST Located on the city’s east side, as the name suggests, Ergon Agora East is a modern space dedicated entirely to the art of food. It has a 2,500-square-meter vegetable garden by the sea, a restaurant that uses the firm’s products, a pastry shop and all the different retail sections that you would find at a good supermarket: seafood, meat, spirits and wine, fruits and vegetables, and an area dedicated to Greek products. It is a gastronomic destination where you can shop, eat, meet friends, have a drink and recharge your batteries. For all this to happen, the 2,500-square-meter former supermarket had to be completely overhauled and the front wall demolished so it could have an open view of the sea. It also took 3,500 plants to transform the outdoor area into a beautiful garden, which hosts themed food stalls and Docks, a bar with views of Mt Olympus. The garden encapsulates the entire endeavor’s aesthetic: a private space designed in such a way as to resemble a public meeting area. Info: Ergon Agora East Address: 50 American Farm School, Pylea Tel. (+30) 2311.119.222 Web: ergonfoods.com Hours: Daily, breakfast 09:00-14:00 & lunch/dinner: 13:00-24:00 / Supermarket: 09:00-22:30

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new arrivals

99 BOXES GALLERY

Experience Luxury in Thessaloniki

RE NOV ATION

CITY REPORT

new arrivals

ONOMA HOTEL

NEW AEGEAN LOUNGE The new business lounge unveiled by AEGEAN Airlines at Thessaloniki International Airport is at airplane walkway level and offers passengers the unusual treat of being able to board their flight directly. The lounge’s design is inspired by the clean, sculptural lines of traditional Cycladic architecture and aims to provide relaxation and an elevated experience. Covering over 500 square meters, it is more than twice the size of the previous lounge and has many different seating areas – from a central dining area to individual armchairs with a runway view. The buffet is made up mainly of locally sourced products and there is even an area especially designed to host presentations by local Macedonian wineries. Info: Thessaloniki International Airport Hours: Mon-Sun, 04:30-23:00. Access to the lounge is limited to AEGEAN Business Class passengers, as well as Miles+Bonus Gold and Star Alliance Gold cardholders.

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From the Π-shaped LED screen in the entrance displaying the names of visitors from different parts of the world to the retro-futuristic lobby with its statue of “The Seeker” – like a gigantic Mickey Mouse carrying a travel bag – and the spaceship-like reception desk, everything in the new, five-star Onoma Hotel by the Anatolia Hospitality group is designed to appeal to a modern and tech-savvy generation of travelers who explore first and then post on Instagram. “We wanted to create a hotel basically for millennials that offers a personalized service and greets guests by name,” says owner Michael Chrysochoidis. From the check-in via cellphone to the technology that remembers your favorite cocktail for the next time you visit, Onoma is firmly rooted in the 21st century. There are also playful features like the basketball court out back, the telescope for stargazing, and the playroom on the mezzanine level, which is stocked with games such as pinball, ping-pong and PlayStation 5. It has an indoor pool and an open-air one on the roof. Info: Onoma Hotel From: €95/double with breakfast Address: 24 Monastiriou Tel. (+30) 2314.423.300 Web: onomahotel.com

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

WineArtEstate.com

LOCALS THE COOL FACTOR SIX CIT Y INF LUENCERS OF F ER TIPS AND SHARE SECRE TS T E X T: V L A S S I S K O S T O U R O S , I L L U S T R AT I O N S : P H I L I P P O S AV R A M I D E S

1. I love Thessaloniki because... 2. Favorite food delivery 3. Guilty pleasure 4. Shopping therapy VANGELIS LIAKOS co-founder of Beetroot

5. My secret is… 6. In the open air

1. It’s always the outsider, and yet it has the people with the best ideas. Because so much starts here, even though nothing stays in the city. Because we can easily get together here.

1. It affords you the time to work, run to the airport, take your kid out for a walk, come back home and pop out for a drink, all in a single day.

2. Verges Lagies (63 Venizelou) for country-style gourmet sandwiches like the one with pulled pork or the other with liver. 3. Gelato e Amore (44 Alexandrou Svolou), otherwise known as the Italian gelateria on Svolou: half a kilo of coconut, tiramisu or pistachio, listening to Phil Collins.

OLGA DEIKOU photographer

4. Hunting for lost treasures of all kinds at the antique and vintage stores, and haggling with the owners.

1. You can walk across the city from the side to the other in an afternoon.

5. Koulouri with feta from Giorgos and Konstantino at Proino Sou, at the start of Tsimiski.

2. The shrimp pasta from Glykanisos in Pylea (46 Megalou Alexandrou) that arrives at my door when I’m craving some really good food.

6. Cycling from Kalochori to the Axios Delta. The views of the city are simply amazing.

TOLIS KOUMPAROS owner of 2nd Floor, Tom Dixon Thessaloniki & The Trilogy House

3. The yoghurt pannacota with a white chocolate coating from Ergon Agora (42 Pavlou Mela), made by Constantinos Symeonidis. 4. Bookstores. All of them, from the small local ones to the big chains.

2. I’m obsessed with the noodles from Wen Zhou Specialties (16 Grigoriou Palama). When my sweet tooth is acting up, it’s ice cream from Moca (10 Kyrimi) or cheesecake from Bombolo (88 Mitropoleos). 3. Basque cheesecake with an Americano coffee at Tom Dixon Thessaloniki (6 Chrysostomou Smyrnis) 4. Sprucing up my wardrobe with short forays to Hionidis Mankind (32 Pavlou Mela) and sometimes to Noma (1 Aristotelous) or Grigio (51 Proxenou Koromila) 5. Dimitra’s antique shop, which recently moved (19 Alexandrou Svolou), because you’ll always find a treasure 6. Anywhere on the waterfront promenade or an excursion to Mt Hortiatis, where my parents live.

5. The little known Railway Museum (128 Monastiriou) with the Orient Express restaurant car, like something from a Wes Anderson movie. 6. The walk to Vafopoulou – a magical street, in my opinion – and then on towards Sofouli and Aretsou Beach.

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LOCALS

1. I love Thessaloniki because... 2. Favorite food delivery 3. Guilty pleasure 4. Shopping therapy KATERINA DAIOU general manager of Daios Luxury Living Hotel

5. My secret is… 6. In the open air

1. Its people are warm, sincere and, most importantly, have a sense of humor. Because it has a distinct identity and a cosmopolitan feel that's hard to find in any other city.

4. Mag Jewellery (68 Mitropoleos) for its stunning items, selected or designed by the amazing Iris Angistrioti. 5. A new discovery, Le Cercle de Salonique (7 Vasileos Irakleiou) is a great bar, with a vintage vibe, a good selection of premium spirits and interesting music. 6. Arkochori, a traditional village on Mount Vermio, is just a two-hour drive from Thessaloniki; it's a favorite destination of mine.

3. The Mama Tereza (15 26is Oktovriou) food truck. It has great pancetta, but don’t tell anyone! 4. The toy store Anemi (35 Pavlou Mela), where you find all these amazing little things to keep you company.

VASILIS MOURATIDIS executive chef of Danai Beach Resort & Villas 1. It’s the most beautiful and romantic city in the world. 2. The Food Plaza (16 Skra) in Kalamaria for traditional gyros in a pita and dishes that remind me of my mother. Also, Taperaki (ThermisPanoramatos) in Thermi for great homestyle food. 3. Themis Ice Cream Shop (59 Nikolaou Plastira) in Kalamaria. 4. A walk around the center, with a stop for some shopping at my all-time favorite Device One (19 Paleon Patron Germanou). 5. The café-bar 51 (51 Komninon) on the Kalamaria pedestrianized strip: it’s the most stylish bar in town and has a great vibe. 6. As everyone across the breadth and depth of Greece knows, there’s nothing like Halkidiki.

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1. It’s a city that allows you to focus on its people and invites you to create your own small world inside it. 2. Mikraki (2 Proxenou Koromila), a typical Greek eatery that never lets you down.

2. Brothers in Law (30 Pavlou Mela) for its delicious burgers. It uses good ingredients in so many unexpected combinations that it’s hard to know what to choose. 3. A meal with sea views at the Daios Bar Restaurant (59 Nikis). And, in particular, their Black Angus Rib Eye with a delightful red wine, and music selected by London’s Playlister Ltd.

VOULA PAPADOPOULOU artist, owner of Ypsilon

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5. My secret is the stretch of small shops tucked away on Frangon Street. You'll find whatever you need there – as long as you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for! 6. A quick fix of fresh air walking along the port with a view of the cranes, to the architecturally fascinating Church of Aghios Nikolaos.

IN PICTURES MAGIC MOMENTS CAUGHT BY THE LENS OF PHOTOGR A PHER OLG A DEIKOU

THE EDGES OF THE CITY - the Concert Hall and Evosmos The area between the two buildings of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, at the eastern end of the seafront promenade, used to be regarded as the most romantic spot in Thessaloniki, thanks to its views of the city, which are particularly enchanting at twilight. Over the past couple of years, however, new romances have been blossoming on the other side of Thessaloniki, too, in Evosmos, where bridges crisscross the ring road and airplanes kiss the clouds.

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THE SEA AND THE CITY - the Port and the Concert Hall Thessaloniki’s history is inextricably entwined with the Aegean. For centuries, its port served as one of the key maritime gateways to the Balkans and brought wealth and new ideas from around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Today, locals and visitors frequent the waterfront from the Concert Hall to the Port, seeking an enduring connection to the wider world across the waters. 2 6 — GREECE IS

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AGAINST THE SKY - Thessaloniki’s “Umbrellas” The five-kilometer stretch that makes up the seaside promenade is the perfect place to escape from the din of the city center. This development, designed by architects Prodromos Nikiforidis and Bernard Cuomo, has been an incredible success among the locals. One of its most popular meeting places is at “The Umbrellas,” the sculpture by George Zongolopoulos whose whimsical appeal can take a turn towards the serious when the night falls.

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EXPERIENCE — THESSALONIKI

AGENDA ALWAYS SOMETHING ON

OUTSTANDING E XHIBITIONS AND E XCITING PERFORMANCES F ILL THE CIT Y'S CULTUR AL CALENDAR BY XENIA GEORGIADOU

To 06/12/2021

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE IN 1939, FILMMAKER Jean Renoir presented

The Rules of the Game to a Parisian audience. Of the screenplay, which he also authored, Renoir said it was “a precise description of the bourgeoisie of our age.” The film outraged both audience and critics, and the French government rushed to ban it on the grounds it had “an undesirable influence over the young.” In the ensuing decades,

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the film found a place among the masterpieces of cinema, and it is this biting satire which, eight decades later, became the inspiration for ten artists to each create a work based on its themes. The exhibition, named after the film, is part of the 62nd Thessaloniki Film Festival. * “The Rules of the Game," Former Nursery, Pier A, Thessaloniki Port, www.filmfestival.gr

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AGENDA

17/12/2021 to 20/02/2022

IMAGINARY WORLDS To 17/07/2022

“THERE'S A REASON THAT, even to this

day, pirates and superheroes attract audiences and the younger generation,” says artist Lydia Venieri. Drawing inspiration from the characters and stories in Byron’s poetry, Venieri restages dream scenes from a fantastical world which is also somehow real, as these characters traverse layers of existence, and change the fate of each generation. Many of the images she uses as backdrops come from contemporary depictions of Greek and Ottoman settings, but through her peculiar tableaux vivants she attempts a more personal and light-hearted interpretation of history. * “Byronic Heroes,” MOMus–Museum of Contemporary Art, 154 Egnatias, www.momus.gr

A CENTURY OF WAITING A N T I Q U I T I E S H E L P E D S H A P E the

collective memory in the 90 years between the outbreak of the Greek Revolution (1821) and the integration of Macedonia into the Greek state (1912). Ancient objects, collectors’ works, heirlooms and archival material illuminate this little-known page in Greek history. * “For a Flame that Burns On: Antiquities and Memory, Thessaloniki–Macedonia, 1821-1912,” Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, 6 Manoli Andronikou, www.amth.gr Τo 20/02/2022

THE MEANING OF REALIT Y

Thessaloniki PhotoBiennale explores the gap between actual events and their documentation. The exhibition borrows its theme from Iraqi film director and writer Hassan Blasim’s short story “The Reality and the Record.” * “The Real and the Record,” MOMus–Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Warehouse A, and MOMus-Experimental Centre for the Arts, Warehouse B1, Thessaloniki Port, www.momus.gr

3 2 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

THE CENTRAL EXHIBITION of this year’s

AGENDA To 16/01/2022

To 27/11/2022

THE PHILHELLENIC MOVEMENT was determined not only on the battlefield, but in the salons of European thought and art as well. Philhellene writers, musicians and painters stirred public sentiment over the plight of Ottoman-ruled Greece and helped prepare the struggle. Literary and historical texts, artistic depictions of places and people, musical scores and art objects from private collections reflect many of the aspects of the philhellenic movement in the years preceding the uprising and during the first decades of the newly independent Greek state. * “Philhellenisms, 1780-1860,” Museum of Byzantine Culture, 2 Stratou, www. mbp.gr

THE STORY OF KLIUN IVAN KLIUN WAS ONE of the most important

painters of the first generation of the Russian avantgarde. The retrospective exhibition in the Moni Lazariston portrays an important artist largely unknown to the general public. A close friend of Kazimir Malevich, Kliun passed through a whole spectrum of artistic movements before developing his own theory of Suprematism. The Costakis Collection contains more than 380 works (sketches and paintings) by the artist. * “Ivan Kliun: Transcendent Landscapes. Flying Sculptures. Light Spheres,” MOMus–Museum of Contemporary Art–Kostakis Collection, 21 Kolokotroni, Moni Lazariston, Stavroupoli, www.momus.gr

THE SUCCESS OF THE GREEK REVOLUTION

TO 19/01/2022

FROM LATE 1940 to April 1941, conservators and

archaeologists took great care to hide marble statues, figurines and ceramic vases from the collections of the National Archaeological Museum under the floors of the original building and its extension. The photographic record of this operation to preserve the antiquities on the eve of the Axis occupation is still deeply moving. * “The Burial and Protection of Antiquities from the National Archaeological Museum during WWII,” Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, 6 Manoli Andronikou, www.amth.gr

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THE 2022 EDITION

THE HIDING PL ACE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

AGENDA TO 27/03/2022

THE END OF THE THREAD FOLLOWING ON from the exhibition

“Weavings: Painting and Tapestry in Greece from 1960 to the Present,” which ran at the Benaki Museum in 2019, the MOMus–Museum of Contemporary Art further highlights the connection between art and weaving in the Greek art scene, as well as the relationship of Greek modernists with weaving and its diverse possibilities. The exhibition features a series of tapestries alongside paintings and sculptures which either inspired the weavings or follow them stylistically. * “Weavings Anew,” MOMus– Museum of Contemporary Art–Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and State Museum of Contemporary Art Collections, 154 Egnatias, www.momus.gr

21/05/2022

AMBIENT MUSIC THE LEGENDARY DUO of Lisa Gerrard

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and Brendan Perry, a.k.a. Dead Can Dance, returns to Greece almost three years after appearing at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. This time, they've selected an indoor venue with amazing acoustics and high technical specifications, where their music can be appreciated to its fullest. The event offers the unique opportunity to follow the course of the duo, whose creativity and innovative sound made the genre of world music famous, from their first album of 1984 to the present. The concert is part of the duo’s Europa 2022 tour. * "Dead Can Dance," Thessaloniki Concert Hall, 25 Martiou & Paralia, www.tch.gr

THE 2022 EDITION

THESSALONIKI IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE MADE-FORWALKING CITIES THAT YOU DON'T NEED A BUS OR A TAXI TO GET TO KNOW. LET'S HEAD DOWN TO THE SEA, STROLL THROUGH THE NARROW STREETS OF THE CITY CENTER, VISIT SOME OLD HAUNTS AND NEW SPOTS, AND EXPLORE OPTIONS

FOR CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT AND FOOD.

THE CITY

T E X T: L I N A K A P E TA N I O U PHOTOS: PERIKLES MERAKOS

in FIVE walks THESSALONIKI

GREECE IS — 3 9

Enjoying the light and the sea on the Nea Paralia, where tourists rub shoulders with city's residents.

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[01] NEA PARALIA – DEPOT THE NEW SEASIDE PROMENADE, which the locals call the Nea Paralia, is the pride of Thessaloniki. After emerging from lockdown, residents have embraced open spaces as never before, and the Nea Paralia, which extends along the waterfront from the White Tower to the Concert Hall, is a particular favorite. Here you'll see people jogging, cycling, or walking their dogs. If you head south from the White Tower, you'll quickly come to the Umbrellas, a famous sculpture by the Greek artist George Zongolopoulos. This is the perfect spot for a selfie and other Instagrammable poses. Moving on, you'll see Macedonia Palace, one of the most famous hotels in Thessaloniki, to your left, followed by a number of interesting sights, NEA PARALIA

including various structures, parks, benches, gardens and peristyles. The most enchanting view, however, is on your right. As the sun sets into the sea, the sky turns different hues of orange, red and purple. At the end of the full 3.5 kilometer-length of BIRDIE NUM NUM the promenade is the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. Classical concerts, dance performances and other events await you here (www.tch.gr). The suburb of Kalamaria, located further down the waterfront, is where you'll find the Monmarti (92 Themistokli Sofouli) wine bar, offering tasty food options and a wide variety of Greek wines from across the country. Turning inland here, you'll come to the neighborhood known as Depot, where the former tram depot was located. Head up tree-lined Vafopoulou Street and grab a seat at Oraio Depot (18 Vafopoulou) for coffee or meze, or go a little further for Birdie Num Num (28 Vafopoulou) for brunch and homemade desserts. This entire area is dotted with wonderful stately mansions from the city’s Belle Epoque era, when the name given to this area was "Exoches" ("Countryside" in Greek).

MONMARTI

"UMBRELLAS" THESSALONIKI

GREECE IS — 4 1

EXPLORE

[02] WHITE TOWER – PORT

THE OLYMPION MOVIE THEATER

THE WHITE TOWER IS UNDOUBTEDLY the city’s most famous landmark. Locals pass it every day, but many have never been to the top. It's well worth climbing the spiral staircase, pausing on the way in the various rooms that narrate the history of Thessaloniki, just to admire the views of the city and the sea from the top (www.lpth.gr). The stretch of road that connects the White Tower with the warehouse district at the port is always busy. The bicycle lane here is often the cause of traffic delays, but exploring by bike, or even by electric scooter (they can be found at various points throughout the city and may be rented via app), is a fun way to get around. Dimitriou Gounari Street, or Navarinou Street as it is more commonly known, is mostly pedestrianized and stretches from the seafront far inland; it's home to many street food options. Nearby, you'll also find Diagonios (2 Fanarioton Square), famed for its delicious soutzoukakia (oblong meatballs) and for its authentic Greektaverna feel. Walking along the waterfront on Nikis Avenue, you'll come across Daios Luxury Living (www.daioshotels.com), a hotel for those who want to be right in the middle of things in the city center. The views of Aristotelous Square from the seafront are marvelous, too. Down at the port, you'll find renovated warehouses currently operating as cultural venues. The Thessaloniki Cinema Museum & Cinematheque, the Museum of Photography and the Experimental Center for the Arts are all located here (www.momus.gr), and offer fascinating temporary exhibitions and events. Every November, this is also where you can watch film screenings presented as part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival

(www.filmfestival.gr).

THE WHITE TOWER

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THE 2022 EDITION

THE EXPERIMENTAL CENTER FOR THE ARTS

PORT WAREHOUSES

THESSALONIKI

ARISTOTELOUS IS THE MOST FAMOUS SQUARE IN THE CIT Y, WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE OLYMPION MOVIE THE ATER AND THE ELECTRA PAL ACE HOTEL.

GREECE IS — 4 3

EXPLORE

[03] ROTUNDA – NAVARINOU PEDESTRIANIZED NAVARINOU STREET, which runs all the way to the Rotunda, is a meeting point for university students and the city’s youth, filled with cafés and takeaway food joints. This is the perfect spot to stop for a breather during your city explorations. Check out the ruins of the Palace of Galerius, and drop in at the café Astoria (17 Navarinou Square) for well-made coffees or some lemonade or sour cherry soda. On a narrow street behind the square you can try new Greek cuisine at Vari Peponi (4 Apellou), which serves specialties such as seafood giouvetsi (a stew made with orzo), pork with leek; and tuna with wild greens. Heading up Navarinou Street once more, you'll encounter the famed Kamara – a classic meeting point for locals, the Kamara, or Arch of Galerius, was built in the 4th century A.D. to celebrate the Roman emperor’s victories against the Persians. The Rotunda, just a little further north, dates from the same period. It's a domed circular structure that has been used as both a Christian church and a Muslim mosque. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has amazing architectural features and boasts wonderful mosaics.

NAVARINOU SQUARE

THE ROTUNDA

THE ARCH OF GALERIUS

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THE 2022 EDITION

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THE NE W "MAKEDONIA" AIRPORT

THESSALONIKI'S GAME-CHANGER IS HERE The renovation works at Thessaloniki's "MAKEDONIA"

Airport, the largest airport managed by Fraport Greece, have been completed, revealing a modern infrastructure that's truly the crown jewel of not just Thessaloniki, not just the region of Central Macedonia or of northern Greece, but of southeastern Europe as a whole. Pictures of the new airport are awe-inspiring. The new building is a synthesis of aesthetics and functionality characterized by timeless design, a minimalistic tone and a strong identity. The new terminal covers 34,033 sq.m and is connected to the older one by overpasses. New check-in areas, double departure gates, new commercial spaces, F&B and shopping outlets create an environment evocative of Europe's most acclaimed airports. The level of service offered to passengers is very high. Among other benefits, the new terminal cuts the distances between the airport's main operational areas, provides more traveler-friendly options, offers easy access, and features a modern baggage screening and management system. In addition, it connects the older terminal to public transport and offers more parking options near the airport.

€100 million investment and plenty of hard work The challenge of marrying the new structure to the existing ones without interrupting airport operations was daunting, both early on when passenger traffic was high and later during the quieter months of the pandemic. To achieve this required 222,900 work hours and €100 million from the overall €440 million budget of the regional airport modernization program. The pioneering investment program (of which this renovation is a vital part) has already transformed regional airports across Greece, from the Ionian to the Cyclades and from the Dodecanese to the North Aegean, Crete, and the mainland.

EXPLORE

ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST important churches in the city is the Church of Aghia Sofia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's also the Cathedral of Thessaloniki. The regeneration of the surrounding area, and in particular the walkways of Iktinou and Aghias Sofias, have made this part of the city a new social hub for both locals and visitors. Before heading to Tsimiski Avenue, stop by Donkey the Breakfast Farm (3 Skra) for either a morning meal or brunch accompanied by exceptional coffee. Weather permitting, the courtyard is an ideal place to enjoy the sunshine. From the Church of Aghia Sofia, the walkway of the same name will take you to Tsimiski, the city’s main shopping street. Turn to your left off Tsimiski at Katouni Street for the Ladadika, where you'll find tavernas, meze eateries and bars, or turn to your right for a walk through Ano Ladadika to visit more alternative bars, such as Gorilla (3 Verias) or Urania (4 Paikou).

[04] AGHIA SOFIA – LADADIKA

URANIA

AGHIA SOFIA

LADADIKA

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THE 2022 EDITION

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LIVE THE AUTHENTIC E XPERIENCE ON THASOS AND SAMOTHRAKI Aliki Beach, Thasos

THE ISLANDS OF THASOS AND SAMOTHRAKI AWAIT THE PLEASURE OF WELCOMING YOU In the Regional Unit of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, two ideally located and easily accessible

islands await the pleasure of offering you unforgettable vacation experiences: Thasos and Samothraki. Thasos, the emerald island, is idyllic and, at the same time, cosmopolitan. It's mountainous and coastal, traditional and modern, with unparalleled beaches, golden sand and emerald green waters. It has dense forests, picturesque villages, delicious local dishes and renowned natural products, including honey, olive oil and wine.

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EXPLORE

BEY HAMAM

[05] ARISTOTELOUS SQUARE – BIT PAZAR – ANCIENT AGORA

L'ALBERO BIT PAZAR 4 8 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

IF YOU HEAD INLAND FROM the seafront at Aristotelous Square, the most famous square in the city, you'll see the Olympion, a movie theater that houses the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, on your right; on the left is another important city landmark – the historic Electra Palace Hotel (9 Aristotelous Square, www.electrahotels.gr). Recently renovated, it boasts modern rooms and suites, as well as incomparable views from its roof garden. Continuing up Aristotelous Square, you'll find Bey Hamam, one of the best preserved Ottoman baths in the city, at Egnatia Avenue. Built in 1444,

the new city portal of Thessaloniki

www.thessaloniki.travel

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EXPLORE

BIT BA Z AR IS USUALLY INUNDATED WITH CROWDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE FREQUENTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NUMEROUS ME ZE E ATERIES.

NECTAR DISTILLERY

THE ROMAN AGORA

it operated as a hammam until the 1960s. Today, it hosts temporary exhibitions about the history of Thessaloniki. Still further up the square, you'll find the ruins of the Roman Agora, while the area known as Bit Pazar begins on your left, a labyrinth of narrow streets and a small square that housed a market at the turn of the 20th century. Today, it's usually inundated with crowds of young people frequenting the neighborhood's numerous meze eateries. If you'd like to admire the Agora from above while also enjoying one of the best cocktails in the city, go to Nectar Distillery (13 Kleisouras), a bar boasting fantastic views and award-winning cocktails. For something more substantial, head off down to L’Albero (17 Filopappou), for a new arrival on the city’s gastronomic scene. The menu has wonderful options, and you should definitely try some of their different cuts of fine beef, served in thin raw slices that you cook yourself on a cast iron grill so you can have them just the way you like them. Just around the corner, the cafédeli Eklectic (59 Eleftheriou Venizelou) stocks fine Greek products from local producers and serves amazing coffee and freshly prepared sandwiches. Just a few streets down the road to the south and to your right, you'll come across Stereo (3-5 Dimarchou Vamvaka), a bar where DJs play electronic music to enthusiastic clientele, especially on Saturday nights.•

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What’s cooking?

foodie guide PSARAS T E X T: G E O R G I A PA PA S TA M O U

New and classic gastronomic spots abound in this culinary capital. 5 2 — GREECE IS

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ILIOPETRA

THESSALONIKI

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GASTRONOMY

AS YOU SEEK OUT the newest

much-awaited restaurant, or maybe something delicious that’s quick and easy and can be eaten on the go, you’ll catch glimpses here and there of Roman arches, Byzantine churches, Ottoman baths, indoor markets and other traces of the many different peoples who once inhabited Thessaloniki. A metropolis during both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, a city-refuge for the thousands of Sephardic Jews persecuted during the Spanish Inquisition, the home of 20th-century refugees from Asia Minor and the Black Sea area, an urban center with French, Slavic and Armenian influences: the rich history of Thessaloniki may be half-hidden in its streets, but it’s clearly evident in its kitchens and on its dining tables. There’s good reason that the residents of Thessaloniki are widely known as foodies, and with so many gastronomic destinations to discover, visitors will be, too. Beginning your tour along the coast is an obvious choice, as there’s a great seaside promenade running from the port to the White Tower and the Concert Hall, with stunning views over the sea toward Mt Olympus in the distance. However, after that initial taste of the sea, we recommend you leave the busy streets and head to Bantis for a breakfast treat that’s a city trademark. From seven in the morning, fresh bougatsas (crispy fyllo pastries filled with cheese or vanilla semolina cream) are pulled from the oven, cut into pieces 5 4 — GREECE IS

and weighed on an old-fashioned scale before being sold to customers. The shop has been operating in the same location since 1969, and Filippos Bantis is still making the pastry by hand, just as his father did, in the way taught to them by Filippos’ grandfather, who came to Greece as a refugee from Kayseri, formerly Caesarea, in Cappadocia. If you get here early enough, you can even try their special bougatsa, made with no filling but plenty of fresh butter. From here, you can stroll through the charming Ano Poli, or “Upper Town,” and then, on your way back to the city center, stop at Iliopetra, the new restaurant making a name for itself with the locals. The setting and the atmosphere make it feel more as if you’ve

SINTROFI

THE 2022 EDITION

been invited for dinner at a friend’s house. The menu, which relies on seasonal products and changes every day, is hand-written by the partner of chef Giorgos Zannakis and showcases ingredients sourced from small local producers whom the chef knows by name. Traditional recipes are effortlessly combined with modern cooking techniques, even featuring elements of Asian cuisine, which Zannakis simply adores. On the day we visited they were serving, among other dishes: classic lahanodolmades (cabbage leaf rolls stuffed with ground beef and herbs); warm salad made with Swiss chard, black beans and silira, a strong creamy cheese from Epirus; rabbit stew with vegetables; tarama with smoked pancetta and confit cherry tomatoes;

foodie guide THERE’S GOOD RE ASON THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THESSALONIKI DIAGONIOS

ARE WIDELY KNOWN AS FOODIES.

VALENIO

THESSALONIKI

GREECE IS — 5 5

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White Tower is Diagonios, a restaurant-institution, frequented by locals and tourists alike, that makes some of the best you’ll find – beautifully crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and served with a heap of bukovo (crushed red pepper) on the side, as tradition warrants. They also prepare and cook their own gyro meat (a rare thing these days) and cut the potatoes they fry by hand. Ordering isn’t complicated; most patrons choose either of the two selections mentioned above. The only real variation is in the side dishes, which range from tzatziki and homemade Russian salad to eggplant purée and politiki salad (a mixture of cabbage, carrot, celery and some spicy pepper). By now, you might feel like a short nap is in order, but an alternative is a stop at Valenio for a specialty coffee. Accredited by the Speciality Coffee Association, Valantis Labriniadis (or Valenio as nicknamed by his Italian colleague) is a coach and judge in coffee competitions who has dedicated the last twenty years of his life to his favorite beverage. Recently, he decided to set up this elegant café, aligned with the latest developments in the industry. Special attention has

BANTIS

THE 2022 EDITION

THE RICH HISTORY OF THESSALONIKI MAY BE HALF - HIDDEN IN ITS STREE TS, BUT IT’S CLE ARLY E VIDENT IN ITS KITCHENS AND ON ITS DINING TABLES. © ALEXANDROS AVRAMIDES

and fresh grilled seabass served on sushi rice, with steamed long beans topped with freshly grated tomato and a sprig of oregano. In one of the restaurants that’s helped define Thessaloniki’s new gastronomic scene, the dishes continue to be innovative and delicious. Mourga can be described as a “gastro-kafeneion” – the first part of the term indicating the solid creativity and attention to techniques and ingredients and the latter denoting a lack of pretentiousness and honesty reflected everywhere, from the décor to the pricing. There’s no meat to be found here, just dishes with vegetables and seasonal seafood, prepared in ways that stir Greek culinary memories. As the menu changes every day, you probably won’t find all the same dishes listed here, but if possible you should try the mackerel tartare with cappuccino leaves and desiccated lotus fruit; the Kavala prawns with garlic and butter (served unpeeled); or the milokopi (shi drum) with lettuce fricassée. The chef behind Mourga, Giannis Loukakis, is creating a new culinary experience with his newest eatery, Sintrofi, featuring organic ingredients, more experimentation, more refined techniques and meat dishes added to the menu. There’s no indoor space here, as the interior is taken up completely by the open kitchen. In a corner stands the icon of Aghios Euphrosynos, patron saint of cooks. Take a seat at the outdoor bar or at one of the sidewalk tables. The slow-cooked black pork with prawns and trahana, the tagliatelle with mussels, goat and Armenian sujuk; and other surf and turf creations often steal the show. Note, though, that the menu changes daily, and sometimes even during the day. You’ll also find a large selection of natural and biodynamic wines. Don’t leave the city without having soutzoukakia (small oblong meatballs) for lunch. Just next to the

CASABLANCA SOCIAL CLUB

MOURGA

GASTRONOMY

foodie guide

GASTRONOMY

been given to Greek coffee, ground to order in a stone mill and prepared in a briki (a small long-handled pot with a pouring lip). About five minutes away, on less commercial Alexandrou Svolou Street, is the quaint Dekaepta – a small space that combines great design, exceptional coffee by Samba Cafè Coffee Roasters, small meals and some lovely cocktails. They usually offer three choices for filter coffee (try the Uganda Bariguna with “rum” flavors) and six choices for espresso. The small loft has a surplus of outlets for those who want to charge phones and laptops or send a quick email, and also hosts a variety of pop-up art events. Perhaps the best spot for distance working, however, is Ypsilon. Housed in a building dating from 1870 that was for years the headquarters of the paper manufacturer Hatzopoulos, it features the ideal balance of cool industrial aesthetics and warm details. In the mornings, most regulars enjoy their coffee (Qualità Unica from Greece) quietly, as they work on their laptops. It’s a great place for a breakfast or brunch featuring wonderful Greek ingredients, and for drinks and 5 8 — GREECE IS

DEKA TRAPEZIA

YPSILON

THE 2022 EDITION

DEKAEPTA

cocktails in the evening as well. Greek meze, small dishes to be shared, that play with the idea of traditional cuisine are served by Manolis Papoutsakis at Deka Trapezia (“Ten Tables”). Even though the name is not exactly literal, this is a small value-for-money restaurant just off the waterfront. We enjoyed tsipouro (a strong spirit) and one of the new Greek wines on the menu as we sampled the seasonal delicacies, dishes that blend many influences while always maintaining a sense of balance. How about bruschetta

HAROUPI

BLÉ VIN

with parsley cream, smoked mussels and lountza (dried smoked pork tenderloin), or croustade with sour cream, crab, soy and trout caviar, or grilled pumpkin with goat yoghurt, or “hot dog” with musky octopus and sausage? You needn’t choose – just order them all to share. And if you think there’s no point in trying Cretan cuisine in Thessaloniki, think again. Chef Papoutsakis (from Deka Trapezia) lets his home island do the talking at Haroupi, offering traditional and more modern aspects of Cretan gastronomy. The cheeses he brings from Crete are in a category of their own, and the gamopilafo (a meat and rice dish) is a must, as are the egg yolks with staka (a roux made from goat milk cream), apaki (smoked pork) chips and roasted almonds. He’s also chosen to serve sautéed lamb in the style of a DIY taco – with handmade pitas, staka, cherry tomatoes and spring onion – for a total melt-in-the-mouth experience. Opposite Kapani, in the 6 0 — GREECE IS

L’ALBERO

traditional Athonos Market, Psaras has been operating for the past decade, offering customers the opportunity not only to purchase their selection of fresh fish but also to have it prepared and cooked there to take away. With two fishing boats and a network of connections, they are able to source seafood for the store that recently opened on a nearby street, which features a few tables and serves the catch of the day served raw, smoked or grilled for immediate enjoyment. This is where you can taste carpaccio and tartare from a variety of fish: parrotfish, bonitos, mackerel, European barracuda, flying cod, dentex, seabream, steenbras, and much more. The smoking process happens in-house. They also sun-dry their octopus and prepare their own bottarga, or fish roe. The eatery L’Albero, on the other hand, focuses on meat. In addition to a range of premium cuts, the menu includes dishes inspired by the wider Mediterranean world: handcrafted gnocchi with sage THE 2022 EDITION

cream and beef cheeks; mushroom fricassée with grilled talagani cheese; and steamed cod with seasonal greens and beetroot skordalia (a garlic and potato spread). Blé Vin is a brand new wine shop/wine bar that’s open from midday onwards and features a wine list curated by Alexandros Bouzikas, 2017 winner of the Best Sommelier award from the Panhellenic Association of Winemakers. Customers can choose from 60 different wines, served in 60ml sample sizes or in a full-sized glass and brought to them at the impressive natural walnut tables. The appealing accompanying snacks come in three categories – raw, marinated and smoked. For cocktails, premium drinks and an extensive collection of rums and whiskeys, Casablanca Social Club has much to boast about. The impressive white neoclassical building with a large garden is extremely charming, and the drinks are wonderful, with the talented Alexandros Sourbatis and his team working to

foodie guide

GASTRONOMY

foodie guide

SURFER MAYA

MAITR & MARGARITA

create one of the best bars in town. For those who’d rather grab something to go, Salento has puccia salentina, round buns made from pizza dough in a wood-fired oven; these buns are filled with a variety of ingredients, such as sausage ragout and anthotyro (traditional fresh cheese), or tomato sauce with gorgonzola and spicy salami. The buns are literally steaming, as they are baked fresh all day long. Otherwise, make a stop at the highly Instagrammable Surfer Maya, which offers unique sandwiches made with slow maturation bread and filled with cuts or beef or tuna pastrami (both produced in-house), as well as tacos with plenty of twists. The most subversive items might be the tacros, with tortillas made from croissant pastry and 6 2 — GREECE IS

MERRY BERRY

topped with crispy prawns, chicken and avocado, or handmade gyros with fried sweet potato. They’ve also adapted the traditional galatopita (milk custard pie) to include croissant pastry, as inspired by award-wining pastry chef Giorgos Avgeros. Other desserts we’d recommend in Thessaloniki include those from Merry Berry, which does things very differently and specializes in raw desserts without sugar. Delicious vegan cakes and profiteroles, made without any animal products, line the shop’s display cases. Recipes were created by Maria Karabini, a blogger who began experimenting with these desserts when she started looking for healthy snacks for her kids and realized that the easiest way was actually to make them herself. THE 2022 EDITION

For dinner, swing by Maitr & Margarita, in the now trendy Ano Ladadika district. A self-proclaimed wine restaurant, it backs up this claim with dozens of wines offered by the glass. If you need some guidance, they’ll gladly oblige. Try the petoura pasta with kavourmas (mutton braised in its own fat), the lahmatzoun (flat bread topped with spicy ground meat), the arancini, the goat’s cheese wrapped in vine leaves and seved on a handmade pitta, or the zigouri (hogget) with pasta – Mediterranean cuisine with idiosyncrasies and exceptional ingredients. If you’re tempted by a modified pastitsada (traditional pasta and meat dish) from Corfu, with cannelloni, rooster and graviera cheese sauce, then you must go to Nama. In this simple and unadorned setting, the chefs create

SALENTO

GASTRONOMY

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MIELE

QUALITY AHEAD OF ITS TIME With the aspirational motto "Immer Besser" ("Always

Better") and with the primary goals of providing exceptional products and customer service, Miele has been the top performer in the kitchen appliances market for more than 50 years. In Greece, Miele's logo and brand are synonymous with quality and innovative technology because the company has remained true to their values, maintaining their stellar tradition in top-tier manufacturing. However, even the ultimate in performance is nothing without long-lasting reliability. That's why Miele combines constant innovation with expert craftsmanship, the meticulous devotion to detail that makes sure that their machines are built to last. In this way, as demonstrated by the launch of their new global brand campaign, "Quality Ahead of its Time," Miele is bringing the important and very topical issue of sustainability to the forefront. Imagine that, instead of using many washing machines or many dishwashers over the years, you only had to use one appliance whose performance would still impress you years from now, all while using less water, less energy, and less detergent.

Miele is proud that they're never satisfied with being good enough - 'Immer Besser' is, they point out, in their DNA. They manufacture machines perfect every detail, delivering state-of-the-art appliances that will keep performing for more than 20 years because they believe that extending the lifespan of an appliance is the ultimate form of sustainability. This year, Thessaloniki's Miele Experience Center celebrates three years of operation as the central hub for kitchen appliances in the northern part of Greece; it's a welcoming space that reflects the brand's superior design and overall quality. With the help of their qualified staff, you'll have the chance to explore the whole range of Miele products and start creating the home of your dreams.

➺

194 Vasilissis Olgas, Thessaloniki Tel. (+30) 2311.297.599 www.miele.gr

foodie guide

GASTRONOMY

ΙNFO

PALIA ATHINA

inventive dishes rooted in Greek cuisine. We tried the most delicious deconstructed gemista (Greek stuffed vegetables), with a green and red pepper coulis, roast tomato, feta cream and a toasted koulouri Thessalonikis (sesame seed bun), as well as intense dolma (stuffed leaves) with mussels, bulgur, mustard seeds, lemon confit and avgolemono (egg and lemon) sauce. When asked, most chefs in Thessaloniki will tell you that they go to Palia Athina when they eat out. This is also true of the city’s gourmets and A-listers, as well as to anyone else who appreciates artfully executed meat dishes. Something between a taverna and a trattoria, Palia Athina is and isn't what it appears to be. Reservations for a table in this basement in the Toumba district need to be made several days, if not weeks, in advance. This is where you’ll find the more traditional soutzoukakia, as well as a fine 6 4 — GREECE IS

NAMA

bistecca fiorentina. The hundreds of bottles of wine (empty and full) scattered across the space add to the atmosphere. The father of owner Manolis Georgakakis was a producer of retsina who fell in love with wine and created an almost mythical wine list – which is still growing to this day. In fact, the list with the rarest and most special wines isn’t written anywhere; instead, it’s in Manolis’ head. After a few key questions, he’ll recommend the wine he feels you’d like. The family atmosphere is also noteworthy here, as customers get up once in a while to toast their own bread by the stove. At the end of the meal, the house serves halva that’s been wrapped in aluminum foil and grilled, together with apple slices, until it melts.•

Scan here for seven seafood and ouzo eateries. THE 2022 EDITION

BANTIS, 33 Panagias Faneromenis Tel. (+30) 2310.510.355 ILIOPETRA, 5 Aischylou Tel. (+30) 2314.055.553 MOURGA, 12 Christopoulou Tel. (+30) 2310.268.826 SINTROFI, 7 Doxis Tel. (+30) 2310.540.260 DIAGONIOS, 13 Stratigou Kallari Tel. (+30) 2310.260.958 VALENIO, 6 Iktinou Tel. (+30) 2311.291.518 DEKAEPTA, 24 Alexandrou Svolou, Tel. (+30) 2310.270.063 YPSILON, 5 Edessis, Tel. (+30) 2310.530.480 DEKA TRAPEZIA, 4 Stratigou Kallari Tel. (+30) 2310.251.010 HAROUPI, 4 Doxis Tel. (+30) 698.852.6262 PSARAS, 7 Metropoliti Gennadiou Tel. (+30) 2310.232.228 L’ALBERO, 17 Filippou Tel. (+30) 2316.018.040 BLÉ VIN, 14 Georgiou Stavrou & 19 Aghias Sofias Tel. (+30) 2310.231.201 CASABLANCA SOCIAL CLUB, 18 Vasilissis Olgas Tel. (+30) 2311.243.609 SALENTO, 76 Eleftheriou Venizelou Tel. (+30) 2310.230.861 SURFER MAYA, 8 Skra Tel. (+30) 2310.235.033 MERRY BERRY, 5 Dimitriou Gounari Tel. (+30) 2310.284.860 MAITR & MARGARITA, 2 Verias Tel. (+30) 2314.007.586 NAMA, 1 Olympou Tel. (+30) 2313.088.241 PALIA ATHINA, 24 Imvrou Tel. (+30) 2310.912.292

ADVERTORIAL

THE NE W GENER ATION OF THE L A Z ARIDIS FAMILY GRE W UP IN THE MOST MAGICAL ENVIRONMENT A CHILD COULD GROW UP IN, THE HISTORIC WESTERN MACEDONIA PASTRY SHOP ROKSANI, WHOSE SWEE T STORY BEG AN FORT Y YE ARS AGO WITH THREE OTHER SIBLINGS.

ROKSANI

The historic pastry shop of Western Macedonia, creating sweet memories since 1980! “I'LL NEVER FORGET how my father looked when he was in the kitchen,” Kostis says. “He was coated in powdered sugar, stacking the kourabiedes on big trays. That was the first time that I saw white-as-snow eyelashes.” “It’s hard to decide what the greatest pastry is among the hundreds of products we make, but the Roksani profiterole has remained unaltered over time and people still love it,” says Giorgos. “All the products containing traditional crème patisserie stand out for me, especially since most pastry shops prefer the easy way of making it and use powder and food coloring,” says Michalis. “Since 1980, generations of children have been raised on our wrapped chocolates.” How have consumers’ needs changed in the last years? “People are looking to lead a healthier lifestyle,” says Kostis. “Recently, our business has started producing pastries that contain no sugar. We've also worked towards reducing the sugar in other products without, however, altering their identity.”

The family is already planning to slowly renovate the Roksani shops so that they're ready be taken over by the next generation, but what is their secret to having remained successful for so long? “Our job is the center of our daily life,” they explain. “We all grew up this way. Ever since we were children, we learned that, in order to get something, you have to try, to set goals and to grow personally as well as professionally. The secrets to a successful recipe would be unity, good cooperation and putting love into what you are creating. For us, the greatest acknowledgement is the love that we receive from people every day.”

A musical guide to Thessaloniki, from its glorious past to its superb present.

The

Sound

REWORKS

the T E X T: V Y R O N A S K R I T Z A S

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City

PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND Vasilis Tsitsanis, a pioneer of rebetiko music who lived in Thessaloniki during the German Occupation, composing some of his best songs.

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KADINELIA

MAY ROOSEVELT

YAKO TRIO

THE BANKSTERS

SOULED OUT

THE SPEAKEASIES' SWING BAND

THE MODIANO MARKET Neoclassical pediments adorn the facade of the Modiano Market where a sign reads “Central Food Arcade”.

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YOU DON'T HAVE TO STUDY

the data to see it. All you need is your ears. If Athens is the city that teaches musicians how to present themselves and paves the way for their national fame, Thessaloniki is the birthplace of new trends, an incubator for cultures and subcultures, rock bands, MCs and traditional Greek bards. In essence, it's a place for voices that have something new to say. Some attribute this to size, reasoning that considerably shorter distances here, compared to Athens, create a more tightly knit community; others claim there's just something in the air. The city’s musical tradition goes back centuries, to the songs of Jewish refugees from Spain, to Balkan sounds and to influences from the Turkish community. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be outlandish to claim that today’s lively and vibrant music scene in Thessaloniki originated largely from one place: during the German occupation (1941-1944), a young composer from Trikala, Vassilis Tsitsanis, ran the Tsitsanis ouzerie at 22 Pavlou Mela Street, where he also performed his music. An innovator in rebetiko music (popular urban songs that were until then associated with the criminal underworld), Tsitsanis would play a key role in its wider dissemination – through the quality of his music as well as through its shift into something milder and purer, which would come to be called laiko (urban folk music). Around the time that Tsitanis was performing his songs to the public for the first time, including

GIANNIS AGGELAKAS

the 1980s and 1990s. Koromila Street was a meeting point for many underground musicians, a veritable hub for exchanging views and ideas. From this musical context came rock bands such as Tripes, Mora sti Fotia and Xilina Spathia, living rock'n'roll lifestyles, singing Greek lyrics and taking their music to large audiences without selling out. NIKOS PAPAZOGLOU

Nikos Papazoglou (left) working on intricate sounds with drummer Nikos Kapilidis at Agrotikon Studio, back in the 80’s. THESSALONIKI

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tunes such as "Synefiasmeni Kyriaki" ("Cloudy Sunday") that would become Greek classics, a future fan named Dionysis Savvopoulos was born on Iatrou Zanna Street. Influenced by the troubadours of the West (Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Georges Brassens), famous Greek composers as well as poetic legends in Thessaloniki, Savvopoulos would cause a stir of his own in Greek music, mainly in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the meantime, the city’s youth was having a blast at concerts by bands such as the Olympians, a pop group that would find some success beyond Greece’s borders. Nikos Papazoglou, a renowned figure who passed through this great band, would in following years have an important influence on the city’s music scene, both onstage and backstage. In addition to being the lead singer on the historic album "I Ekdikisi tis Gyftias" (1978), which revived Greek laiko music, Papazoglou introduced Sokratis Malamas, a singer beloved to this day, to the Greek public. Moreover, as a founder of and sound engineer at the Agrotikon studio, Papazoglou supported many local singers just starting out. The city’s rock and punk rock scenes were particularly active during

MUSIC

A NUMBER OF GROUPS THAT STAND OUT ARE INFLUENCED BY TRADITION AND YE T E XPRESS THEMSELVES IN A MODERN WAY. 7 0 — GREECE IS

BANDS AND HANGOUT S Today, Thessaloniki continues to contribute a variety of flavors to the feast that is Greek music. One of these is Souled Out, a band with a love for soul in its more pop version. Frontwoman Alexandra Sieti boasts an impressive voice and stage presence, and their songs, such as “Madness” and “Let me in your heart,” have become popular online. The Speakeasies' Swing Band is another fun-loving group that dresses the part as it headlines swing dance parties. Other bands that have been making noise in recent years include The Banksters, Dynamind and Lemonostifel. A number of groups that stand out are influenced by tradition and yet express themselves in a modern way. For example Largo, with lyrics addressing socio-political concerns, combines elements from Greek traditional music with electronic beats. Largo is headed by Kostantis Papakonstantinou, son of beloved musician Thanasis Papakonstantinou. The band Kadinelia, an acoustic duet that exquisitely combines Greece’s musical heritage with that of other lands, is another case in point. Of course, such bands could not share their message without the existence of appropriate performance spaces. While the pandemic will undoubtedly still have an effect on the

LEX

arts this winter, Thessaloniki boasts many quasi-concert halls, such as Block33, the Principal Club Theater, Μilos and Fix Factory of Sound. There are also other locales that offer both live performances and food and drink, including Kafodeion, the Enfant Gâté in Guadeloupe concept restaurant, and the café Tzamala. An urban multispace for culture and sports, WE is a meeting point for creative groups that also serves as a venue for concerts and music events such as the Balkan Fest and the Upnloud Festival. If there's one festival, however, that constantly steals the show, it's Reworks: every September, for the past 17 years, it has welcomed thousands of people from all over Greece and the world to explore and enjoy the latest trends in electronic music. Of course, it's not all just homegrown talent that entertains in Thessaloniki; popular bands and solo performers from abroad often perform in the city, particularly in the summer when they fill large outdoor spaces such as Theatro Gis and the outdoor stage at Moni Lazariston.

HIPHOP, JAZZ AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC “You been lost for some time and I want to talk / grab your bike and come down so we can meet up,” says LEX in one of his most famous songs. From the busy port to the city’s quiet THE 2022 EDITION

side streets, thousands of young city residents use bicycles to move around, and many of them find their main source of expression through hip hop. LEX, aka Alexis Lanaras, is regarded as one of the best in this field, with lyrics laced with accusation but also hope for a brighter future. Behind the beats stands Dof Twogee, the producer who has defined the sound of northern Greece in recent years. The sessions he occasionally organizes, a series of exclusive recordings, are similar to the radio freestyles that have been taking place internationally for years. Artists such as Tzamal, 12os Pithikos, Logos Apeili and, of course, Skive (the producer who brought trap music to Greece) have left their own marks on the city’s modern music scene. Along with new musical artists, there are local record labels as well. Founded in 2021, Black Stars Records supports promising artists such as Banshee, a 22-year-old rapper studying medicine at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. With a different focus but similar philosophy, Dinara Records promotes the local indie scene. Its recent releases includes the debut of Tuflon, whose music has been dubbed “jazztronica,” as well as the album "Now What?" by indie pop band Chasing Bone. The city’s jazz scene may not be as active as in Athens, but it certainly has passion. The Yako

advertorial

“CHEEKY MANGO” brings choreographers from around the world right into your living room!

“ O n e o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t h a p p e n e d due to COVID-19 was that dancing returned to where it started: the streets. A quick scroll on Tik Tok and you'll see people dancing everywhere. As a result, people got curious and went looking for ways to dance.” Born in Thessaloniki, Maria Manolopoulou has seen her life change since she started dancing. She danced as a hobby for ten years, managing to grow as a dancer before landing teaching positions in dance studios in both Greece and the United Kingdom. When she realized that a lot of dance instructors had moved from studios onto screens due to the pandemic, she decided to create her own unique platform in order to accommodate them and to bring them straight into our homes. This is how “Cheeky Mango” was born. “The initial idea was to have classes with wellknown dancers and choreographers from all over the world, classes we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to attend due to distance or lack of time,” Maria explains. “One of our students recently wrote to us that she'd always wanted to start dancing, but she

never dared do so, because of her age. With 'Cheeky Mango,' she's learning at home without feeling uncomfortable. We currently offer more than 70 dance classes, with some for beginners as well as for advanced dancers. You can find dance classes that last 15 minutes and others that run up to an hour and a half hour,” she says. While searching for classes on “Cheeky Mango”, users are able to filter results (based on dance style, type of class and duration) and take the class they want when they want it. The platform also offers unique “custom player” features which allow users to adapt classes to their own personal needs and preferences. “Cheeky Mango is for everyone who's been dancing for years and wants to continue growing, but it's also for those who are shyly — or not so shyly — dancing in the shower or in front of their mirror. Dancing, after all, belongs to everyone.”

➺ cheekymango.co

CHEEKY INSTRUCTORS & TEAM Claire Karapidaki, Zineta Kamini, Panagiotis Kalantidis, Stefania Nikolaidou, Angelina Dimitriadi

MUSIC

Trio are musicians who traveled to many different parts of the world before returning to their hometown and fusing their musical journeys with the sounds of a multicultural city. Their new album, "Odes Sea," which should be released this winter, features two world-famous saxophonists: Swiss-born Nicolas Masson of ECM and James Wylie from New Zealand. For those in search of experimental music, May Roosevelt offers something special. Composer, producer and classical violinist, she became well-known for playing the theremin, a musical instrument that's controlled without physical contact, with moves resembling those of a sculptor. Giannis Aggelakas, former frontman of the band Tripes and a well-respected figure in the city’s music scene, is also part of the avant-garde. In one of his projects, a collaboration with cellist Nikos Veliotis, he superimposes his commanding deep-toned voice on otherworldly sounds, creating a mystical atmosphere for a quiet and focused crowd. The recording studios attract talent, too. Popular bands who don't live in Thessaloniki often choose to record albums or singles at the legendary Magnanimous Studio, while the Royal Alzheimer Hall in the Epanomi area boasts its own history.

A UNIQUE FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT Most of the aforementioned artists, as well as the spaces that host them, are identifiably Greek, but there's one type of entertainment, a genre in which Thessaloniki has had a continuously strong presence throughout the years, that's the quintessence of Greekness: the bouzoukia, those nightclubs (named after the musical instrument, the bouzouki, which takes center stage) where popular Greek music is performed live. Even though the bouzouki itself tends to get lost in the overall decibel output 7 2 — GREECE IS

playlist and the modernized arrangements of urban folk songs, these spaces are still called bouzoukia, and they operate as temples to song and dance; here, you'll find late-night music, impressive outfits and traditions such as dancing on tables, throwing carnations on the stage and, although it's rare these days, the breaking of plates. Many famous singers began their careers at these bouzoukia: Marinella, Pashalis Terzis, Vasilis Karras, Antonis Remos and Despina Vandi, as well as more recent singer-entertainers such as Paola and Makis Dimakis. Today, despite an ongoing pandemic and the aftereffects of an economic crisis, the city’s residents and visitors continue to enjoy the bouzoukia, although attendance is down from previous years. Pyli A, Mouses en Horo, Fix and Stage Live are some of the most famous such places, and just as tourists should try a city's local delicacies, so should a night at the bouzoukia be part of the experience for first-time visitors to Thessaloniki, no matter their musical taste and despite the fact that these establishments have, in fact, both their loyal fans and sworn enemies among the locals. Thessaloniki offers so many options for entertainment to suit all tastes, but many people in the city’s cafés and bars are still nostalgic for the old Thessaloniki – the explosion of rock music, authentic places for listening to urban folk songs, and the sense of community. On 22 Pavlou Mela Street, where Tsitsanis’ old joint once stood, there is now a clothes store. And yet, as Giannis Aggelakas says in the song “Giorti,” in his thick, characteristic Thessaloniki accent, “there's something that has not yet been lost.” Perhaps it's a thirst for what is to come. You can hear it in LEX’s serious lyrics, in the party atmosphere of Souled Out, and in the sound of that unknown band rehearsing today in the hopes of performing for you tomorrow.• THE 2022 EDITION

NIKOS PAPAZOGLOU - Ekdikisi Tis Gyftias (1978) Standout track: “Kaneis edo den tragouda”

ARGYRIS BAKIRTZIS & HEIMERINOI KOLYMVITES (1981) Standout track: “To pollaplo sou idolo”

TA XILINA SPATHIA (1993) Standout track: “Xessaloniki”

TRYPES - Kefali Gemato Hrisafi (1996) Standout track: “Akouo tin agapi”

DIONYSIS SAVVOPOULOS - O Chronopoios (1999) Standout track: “Sou milo kai kokkinizeis”

THANASSIS PAPAKONSTANTINOU - Vrachnos Profitis (2000) Standout track: “Pechlivanis”

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY - Riza (2014) Standout track: “Ti kako”

LEX - 2XXX (2018) Standout track: “Vittorio”

Study at the fully accredited American College of Thessaloniki, in the Student Hub of Greece!

US-NECHE Accredited • EU-Validated

Join Us @ACT in Thessaloniki, Greece UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES • BS in Business Administration with 4 concentrations • BS in Computer Science • BS in Business Computing • BA in Political Science & International Relations • BA in English with 2 concentrations • BS in Psychology

GRADUATE STUDIES • MBA with 4 concentrations • MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management • MS in Industrial / Organizational Psychology

COMBINED DEGREES • BS in Business Administration • Swiss Higher Diploma in International Hotel Management • Bachelor of International Business in Hotel and Tourism Management • Dual Degrees in Engineering in collaboration with renowned EU and US academic institutions.

ACT - American College of Thessaloniki • Pylea, Thessaloniki, Greece • Tel.: +30 2310 398.398 • admissions@act.edu • www.act.edu

EXPLORE

Above: Interior of the Pantheon-like Rotunda. Right: The Rotunda wall mosaic, an unidentified military man (early 4th-mid-6th c.).

Thessaloniki offers a brilliant showcase of the evolution of Byzantine art and architecture, spanning centuries of the city’s remarkable history of strategy, struggle and survival. T E X T: J O H N L E O N A R D

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TIMELESS BYZ A NTINE CIT Y

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heritage

EXPLORE

Top: Eptapirgio Castle, formerly the notorious Yenti Kule prison. Above: The Church of Aghia Sophia (7th/8th c.). 7 6 — GREECE IS

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change our daily routines, we look around for a sense of stability, of reliable permanence. In Thessaloniki, there is so much to marvel at which has endured, as we look with fresh eyes on this great city rich in history, culture and art. Sounds, too, carry renewed meaning and appreciation. Amid the usual urban din, the pealing of church bells reverberating from Thessaloniki’s beautifully preserved, age-old places of worship reminds us of the importance of life, community and what can be accomplished together, both in times of well-being and of trouble. It is the Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, in particular, that give the city its unique, timeless character.

HIDDEN HISTORY Thessaloniki’s long, tumultuous yet spiritually and artistically vibrant past constitutes one of its most intriguing aspects. Even before it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1430, the city had flourished, declined, rebounded from hardship and flourished again numerous times during the 17 centuries since its foundation by Alexander the Great’s successor, Cassander, in 315 BC. This is what makes European tourism so interesting – the cities are old, evocative, enduring. In Thessaloniki, we find mystery, hidden history and deep-running culture – the cycles of its past now increasingly revealed by archaeologists, conservators and inspired modern-day city planners. Through the ages, the ancient city’s hippodrome, forum and imperial palace, the historian Mark Mazower observed, “fell into ruins which gradually disintegrated and slipped beneath the slowly rising topsoil, leaving an invisible substratum of catacombs, crypts and secret passages.” Nowadays, not only have the Roman agora and palace been brought back to light but, thanks to extensive digging for the city’s new metro, we know that entire avenues, cemeteries, public squares and domestic districts

AS THE PANDEMIC continues to

An illustrated manuscript depicting Saints Cyril and Methodius (9th c.), brothers from Thessaloniki.

lie just below street level, waiting to be rediscovered and to surprise us with ever new evidence of a sophisticated former existence.

E ARLY CHRISTIAN CROSSROADS Governing Thessaloniki’s historical destiny perhaps more than anything else has been its key location. Rising at the top of the Thermaic Gulf, initially a walled fortress-city established by Cassander as a new Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki stood at a crucial junction between north and south, east and west, soon becoming a center of defense, commerce and regional

THE CIT Y HAD FLOURISHED, DECLINED, REBOUNDED FROM HARDSHIP AND FLOURISHED AGAIN NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE 17 CENTURIES SINCE ITS FOUNDATION. THESSALONIKI

administration. Christianity was ushered in by St. Paul, when he visited the now-Roman-controlled city on his second apostolic mission (AD 49-52), founded a church for his fledgling believers and drew attention to this new community through his later writing of the Epistles to the Thessalonians. Emperor Galerius (305-311), although a notorious anti-Christian under whose reign Demetrios, an early advocate of the new faith, was martyred (ca. 306), greatly contributed to the city’s urban embellishment when he installed a lavish, sprawling palace, the domed, Pantheon-like Rotunda, an imposing, relief-decorated triumphal arch and other major constructions. Following Constantine I’s own baptism and subsequent promotion of Christianity (312, 313), his personal visit to Thessaloniki in 322-323 and his establishment of a new capital (330) at Byzantium (later Constantinople, now Istanbul), the city of Thessaloniki further developed not only as an East-West interface, a commercial hub and a strategic port/military outpost, but also as a flowering center of Christian worship and a cultural beacon of the Byzantine Empire (330 to 1453). Long an important stop on the interregional Via Egnatia highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Bosphorus, the “Strait of Constantinople,” it was a place where diverse peoples met, traditions blended, GREECE IS — 7 7

heritage

EXPLORE

armies clashed and, eventually, Christendom was eclipsed by the expanding Muslim empire of the Ottoman Turks.

Saint Paul preaching to the Thessalonians, a woodcut illustration by Gustave Dore (1832-1883).

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CULTURAL MONUMENT S During Byzantine times, Thessaloniki shone as the second-most important city in the Greek East, after Constantinople. Today, with its impressive fortifications and magnificently decorated and conserved Byzantine churches, many still adorned with richly colorful wall paintings and gold-tessellated mosaics, Thessaloniki similarly ranks as modern Greece’s second city, as well as one of the greatest cultural jewels of Europe. No less than 15 of its historic buildings have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, including especially the Rotunda, Acheiropoietos Church, Hosios David (Latomou Monastery), Aghios Demetrios Church, Aghia Sophia Church and the soaring city walls that rise through the Upper Town (Ano Polis) to the now-restored Eptapyrgio (Yedi Kule) Castle. Events in Thessaloniki had far-reaching consequence in the Christian world of Byzantium. It was here that Theodosius I temporarily resided and also converted to Christianity (379, 380). Later, a shameful massacre of citizens in the Hippodrome (390), many of them Nicene Christians, by overzealous or panicked imperial guards, drew a rebuke of the emperor from Bishop Ambrose of Milan, whose refusal to give Theodosius communion until he had offered public repentance indicated the rising power of Christian leaders. In the midst of the early struggle between differing Christian doctrines, Theodosius also issued the Edict of Thessalonica in 380, condemning the followers of Arianism in Constantinople (who believed Jesus was subordinate to God) as deviant, insane heretics. Further demonstrating Thessaloniki’s central role was the dispatching from here of the monk Cyril and his brother Methodius (later beatified as saints) by Emperor Michael III, who sent them north to Moravia (covering much of present-day Eastern

Europe) to convert the Danubian Slavs (863). In the 14th century, Thessaloniki was home to the preeminent Eastern Orthodox theologian Gregory Palamas, who became the city’s archbishop in 1347.

DURING BY Z ANTINE TIMES, THESSALONIKI SHONE AS THE SECOND - MOST IMPORTANT CIT Y IN THE GREEK E AST, AF TER CONSTANTINOPLE. THE 2022 EDITION

BY ZANTINE LEGACY Today, Thessaloniki’s diverse Byzantine monuments showcase the evolving forms of ecclesiastical architecture: from the Early Christian five-aisled basilica with a transept and the Early Byzantine domed chapel, to the Middle Byzantine cross-in-square and Late Byzantine cross-in-square-with-ambulatory churches. The extraordinary wall paintings and mosaics in these churches also reveal the changing styles of Byzantine art, from earliest times (Rotunda, Hosios David, Aghios Demetrios) through the first post-iconoclastic (Aghia Sophia) and Komnenian eras (Hosios David frescoes), culminating in the so-called Palaeologan Renaissance (for example, Aghion Apostolon Church, Aghios Euthymios chapel in Aghios Demetrios Church, Aghios Nikolaos Orphanos Church, Aghios Panteleimon Church and the katholikon of Vlatadon Monastery). The city walls similarly attest to successive phases of construction, while the city’s Byzantine baths and preserved Ottoman hammams show a flow of cultural influence and shared traditions from ancient through medieval times.•

BYZANTINE HIGHLIGHTS

City Walls Along Elenis Zografou and Eptapirgiou streets Eptapyrgio Castle 130 Eptapirgiou Rotunda Aghiou Georgiou Square

The Church of Profitis Elias (14th c.), inspired by churches in Constantinople; once part of a monastery.

Church of Acheiropoietos 56 Agias Sofias Church of Aghios Dimitrios At the cross where Aghiou Dimitriou street meets Aristotelous street

Latomou Monastery (Osios David) 17 Epimenidou Church of Aghia Sophia Aghias Sofias Square Church of Panagia Chalkeon 2 Chalkeon

The interior of Bey Hamam, the "Baths of Paradise," built by Murad II in 1444.

Byzantine Baths 13 Theotokopoulou and Krispou

Museum of Byzantine Culture 2 Stratou Avenue

The once-luxurious Palace of Galerius, now an archaeological park in the heart of Thessaloniki. Scan here to find out more about the city's Byzantine monuments. THESSALONIKI

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MEMORIES & MANSIONS The area known as Exoches to the Greeks was once a cosmopolitan hub of activity. Today, some of its most impressive surviving structures are home to important cultural institutions and charming cafés. T E X T: A M B E R C H A R M E I PHOTOS: PERIKLES MERAKOS

INSPIRED ECLECTICISM The seaside mansions of Thessaloniki, each entirely unique, incorporate elements from a wealth of sources.

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“Our house in Salonika was located in a new and very chic neighborhood not far from the sea called Yalilar in the Hamidiye district. It was heavily planted with fragrant vines and trees. Jasmine, Frangipani, Tuberoses, and roses of all varieties filled the neighborhood gardens…. In the spring and well into the late summer, one would get dizzy walking up to the house from the fragrance that hung in the air like a veil.” ESIN EDEN, writing in “Salonika: A Family Cookbook,” co-authored with Nicholas Stavroulakis.

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AN ELEGANT EXILE The deposed sultan, Abdul Hamid II, is depicted next to the Villa Allatini, where he was confined as the Ottoman Empire drew to a close.

E EVOCATIVE REMINDERS of the

Thessaloniki of her mother’s youth filled the Istanbul childhood of Esin Eden. This paradise of sprawling villas and gardens (“Yalilar” means ‘mansions’) took its name - Hamidiye - from the reigning sultan, Abdul Hamid II, in what were to be the waning days of the Ottoman empire. Called the Exoches in Greek, it stretches eastwards along the shores of the Thermaikos, “exo” (“outside”) of where the old city walls once stood. In the Hamidiye, an entirely new type of society flourished. This cosmopolitan upper class was identified primarily neither by faith nor ethnicity, as had been the case for centuries, but rather by their shared refined tastes, 8 4 — GREECE IS

level of education, and prosperity. For the first time in the city’s history, Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side. They were joined by diplomats, foreign bankers and industrialists, government officials and, later, even by royalty. The sounds of conversation in Greek, Osmanli (Ottoman Turkish), Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) and French filled the gardens and reception halls, and ladies wore the latest European fashions – with the addition of an elegant matching çarşaf and peçe for the

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CIT Y’S HISTORY, CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND JE WS LIVED SIDE BY SIDE. THE 2022 EDITION

Ma’min ladies, like those of the Eden family.

A WEALTH OF INSPIRATION The buildings of Belle Epoque Thessaloniki reflect the city’s unique identity. In contrast to Athens, where neoclassicism served as a stylistic expression of the cohesive identity of the new Greek State, underscoring its cultural and spiritual connection to ancient Greece, Thessaloniki’s eclecticism reflected both the city’s multiculturalism and its European orientation. The style yielded a trove of architectural references and elements – mansard roofs, onion domes, round Art Nouveau windows and the lacy eaves of Swiss chalets – as diverse as the residents’ individual tastes. There were once over a hundred such buildings here. Some of the finest remain, telling the stories of the residents of the district and of the city itself; along what is today Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, the main artery at the heart of the Exoches, some of the most important events in Thessaloniki’s modern history unfolded.

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Above: Surrounded by its vast park, the palatial Villa Allatini was the grandest mansion of fin-de-siècle Thessaloniki. Right and below: Some of the area's mansions, splendidly restored, serve as exhibition spaces and cultural institutions.

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The stunning Geni Tzami is now an exhibition space.

THE MOSQUE OF THE MA’MIN With the mass arrival of Sephardic Jews from the Iberian peninsula, which began in 1492, Thessaloniki’s Jewish community flourished. But in the 17th century, it suffered a sudden reversal. A charismatic mystic named Sabbatai Zevi, claiming to be the messiah, gained an ardent following, especially in Thessaloniki. When the sultan compelled him to convert to Islam, some 300 Sephardic families followed his example. They called themselves the Ma’min, or “the faithful,” although throughout the empire they were also called the Dönmeh, or “the turned.” The affluent and sophisticated Ma’min community included some of the city’s leading citizens; among these were industrialists from the Kapandji family, the educator Semsi Efendi (Kemal Attaturk’s teacher), and the city’s last Ottoman mayor, Osman Said Bey. A certain mystery surrounded the community; they married only other Ma’min, and the details of their 8 6 — GREECE IS

religious practices were known only unto themselves. The city’s Geni Tzami (“New Mosque”) can be viewed as an architectural expression of the complexity of their identity, uniting a variety of styles, elements, and symbols, including Corinthian columns, Moorish arches, Islamic decorative motifs and an abundance of stars of David.

IT WAS AN ELEGANT E XILE; HIS ENTOURAGE INCLUDED THREE SULTANAHS, T WO OF HIS YOUNG SONS, FOUR EUNUCHS, AND OVER A DOZEN SERVANTS. THE 2022 EDITION

THE LAST SULTAN In early 20th-century Thessaloniki, a movement began that would eventually take down the Ottoman Empire. The Young Turks – the “Salonicans” – eventually gained power in Istanbul, the empire’s capital. In April of 1909, Sultan Abdul Hamid II was deposed and replaced by his brother, a figurehead. Centuries of absolute power for the House of Osman were at an end, and the former sultan was conveyed to the city where the revolution which overthrew him had been born. It was an elegant exile; his entourage included three sultanahs, two of his young sons, four eunuchs, and over a dozen servants. Thirty gendarmes on horseback escorted the party to the Hamidiye – the district named after him in the happier days of his reign. He was confined in splendor: with vast gardens and reception rooms that had once hosted formal balls for 700 guests, the Villa Allatini was the grandest in the city. Yet it wouldn’t quite do as it was; the former sultan insisted on the

PHOTO: ©EVI TSADARI

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addition of a Turkish bath. It’s said he spent his days working on his carpentry and listening to his wives read the newspaper. His exile in Thessaloniki came to an end in 1912; before the Turks surrendered the city to the advancing Greek army, Abdul Hamid II was taken to Beylerbeyi Palace on the Bosporus to live out his remaining days.

A HAPPY ENDING The cosmopolitan outlook of the upper classes of Thessaloniki didn’t extend to interfaith romance. So when, as the story has it, Aline Fernandez-Diaz fell into the arms of Spyros Aliberti on a rollicking tram ride in 1912, things ought not to have gone any further; Aline belonged to a prominent Jewish family whereas Spyros, curator of the Athens observatory and an officer in the Greek army posted to Thessaloniki, was a Christian. But destiny had its say. The couple eloped in Athens before returning to her family’s grand villa, the

Casa Bianca, where they lived happily together for half a century.

THE OTHER HALF A tram – horse-drawn at first, and then electric-powered from 1908 on – once ran along the main boulevard in the Exoches area. The former tram depot, near the Villa Allatini, is the reason why the surrounding area is still called “Depot”. In the heart of this neighborhood is the charming Ouziel Complex. These 28 homes with their small gardens – commissioned by David Ouziel, a principal shareholder in the tram company – are truly villas in miniature, capturing the grace of their era in every detail.

A GLORIOUS GREEK VICTORY In 1912, during the First Balkan War, commander-in-chief Crown Prince Constantine led the Greek army into Thessaloniki. The surrender of the

Turks was peaceful and dignified. But the victory was precarious; Greek forces had beaten the Bulgarian army to the coveted city by mere hours. Moreover, Greece lacked heartfelt support from the Great Powers, as members of the international community had enjoyed a privileged position under the Ottomans. In order to underscore Greece’s claim to Thessaloniki, King George I and his family moved from their palace in Athens to the newly liberated city. They resided in the Exoches area: Prince Nicholas, as the city’s military commander, at the Villa Mehmet Kapandji; King George I at the Villa Kleon Chatzilazarou (no longer standing); and other members of the royal family at the Villa Pericles Chatzilazarou (131 Vasilissis Olgas).

A DARK DAY King of the Hellenes for half a century, the much-loved George I was walking along the main boulevard in the

The Villa Mehmet Kapandji boasts a magnificent staircase.

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Exoches when he was assassinated, shot in the heart by a madman, in March of 1913. The spot is marked by a bust of the king, joined more recently by a statue of his wife, Queen Olga. The new Greek State had taken shape and flourished under George I. His reign brought significant territorial gains, as well as the inauguration of the Corinth Canal, the construction of the National Archaeological Museum, and the restoration of the Olympic Games. His successor’s reign, conversely, would be divisive: it was the eve of WWI, and Greece’s new king, Constantine I, was married to Kaiser Wilhelm’s sister.

INTRIGUE AT THE BALL The interlude between the first and second Balkan Wars was brief, and the peace was fragile. The alliance of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria against the Ottomans in the First Balkan War was a resounding success; the empire’s losses – Thessaloniki included – were substantial. But the alliance was an uneasy one; Bulgaria was dissatisfied with the division of the conquests. Anticipating aggression, Greece and Serbia entered into an alliance of their own. With tensions in the Balkans running high, discretion was key. A treaty was drafted. It remained only to bring the parties together without raising suspicion. The elegant solution: a ball at the Villa Mehmet Kapandji. The alliance, made on June 1st, 1913, came just in time; that same month, the Second Balkan war broke out, this time with Bulgaria in opposition to Greece.

“LIEBER TINO…” So began the telegram sent on March 4, 1915, from Kaiser Wilhelm II to his brother-in-law, King Constantine, advising him that the stability of his nation and his throne would best be served by Greece’s continued neutrality. Opinion in the Royal Family was divided; just days earlier, Prince George had sent a telegram to his brother urging support of the Allies. 9 0 — GREECE IS

Constantine, convinced that Germany was invincible, felt nothing was to be gained by opposing them. Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos believed there was everything to be gained: in supporting the Entente, Greece could obtain territories in Asia Minor, including Smyrna. Moreover, Serbia was under attack. Joining forces with the Entente had the twin advantages for Greece of honoring their alliance with Serbia and offering a potentially glorious outcome, a significant step towards the realization of the Great Idea, a revanchist dream of a Greater Greece encompassing ancient Greek lands. The two parties soon reached an impasse. Venizelos resigned as Prime Minister and there followed an event known as the National Schism, with royalists centered in Athens, and the Provisional Government of National Defense, a parallel administration, and their followers active in Thessaloniki. Venizelos arrived in early October of 1916 to head a triumvirate formed with Admiral Kountouriotis and General Danglis. He stayed at the Villa Mehmet Kapandji, near the Triumvirate’s headquarters.

A TRE AT Y WAS DRAF TED. IT REMAINED ONLY TO BRING THE PARTIES TOGE THER WITHOUT RAISING SUSPICION. THE ELEGANT SOLUTION: A BALL AT THE VILL A MEHME T K APANDJI.

THE NATIONAL SCHISM In an interesting twist of fate, the headquarters of the Triumvirate were at the Villa Modiano. The municipality had acquired the building after the city’s liberation, intending it for the use of the Royal Family. Now, it housed the king’s opposition. As the National Defense government prepared to join the Entente, Greece was bitterly divided, culminating in violent clashes in November of 1916 in Athens. In response to this, the Entente blockaded royalist ports until the following June. King Constantine went into exile, leaving the throne to his son Alexander, and Venizelos returned to Athens. Meanwhile, Thessaloniki, long culturally diverse, was now truly international, hosting the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Armée d’Orient – troops from Britain, France, Serbia and as far away as India and colonial French Indochina.

THE CATASTROPHE IN ASIA MINOR Shortly after the Allied victory in WWI, the Greco-Turkish War began. By May of 1919, Greece had taken Smyrna and surrounding lands. The Treaty of Sèvres, which validated the claim a year later, proved to be, in the words of American diplomat Philip Marshall Brown, “as fragile as the porcelain of that name, though lacking its charm.” Turkey retaliated, and the 1922 Massacre of Smyrna was decisive; Greece ultimately did not get Asia Minor. Instead, Asia Minor came to Greece: under the Lausanne Convention, the population exchange brought approximately 1.3 million Christian refugees to Greece, far outnumbering the 585,000 Muslims who were compelled to leave the country for Turkey. A large proportion of the Christian refugees arrived in Thessaloniki. They were housed in every available space, including the Villa Kapandji and the Geni Tzami. The shift in the city’s demographics that this resettlement caused was dramatic.

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exoches Even as the Muslims departed, the city’s new Christian Greek residents brought some of the essence of Asia Minor back to Thessaloniki.

THE MODERN EXOCHES

SOCIABLE SETTINGS The Ouziel Complex (top) captures the charm of the era, while some old mansions (bottom) in the Exoches are now cafés. INFO:

Villa Allatini 198 Vasilissis Olgas

Geni Tzami 30 Archeologikou Mouseiou

Ouziel Complex Between Georgiou Papandreou and Cheronias streets Casa Bianca 182 Vasilissis Olgas

Bust of King George I, Statue of Queen Olga At the cross street Aghia Triada, where Vasilissis Olgas turns into Vasileos Georgiou.

Villa Mehmet Kapandji 108 Vasilissis Olgas

Epavli Marokkou (café/bar) 133 Vasilissis Olgas

Villa Modiano 68 Vasilissis Olgas

Casablanca Social Club 18 Vasilissis Olgas

FOR FURTHER READING:

Eden, Esin, and Stavroulakis, Nicholas – “Salonika: A Family Cookbook” Kalyvas, Stathis – “Modern Greece: What Everyone Needs to Know” Mazower, Mark – “Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews, 1430-1950” 9 2 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

In today's Exoches, historic buildings are far outnumbered by modern apartment blocks, but the storied few that remain are central to the culture of the city. The Villa Allatini (Vitaliano Poselli, 1898), once the elegant prison of Abdul Hamid II, is now a government building, while the Ouziel Complex (Jacques Moshé, 1925-1927) remains what it's always been, a collection of charming private homes. The Casa Bianca (Pierro Arrigoni, 1912-13), home to Thessaloniki’s favorite love story, was rescued from near ruin and is now the splendid home of the Municipal Art Gallery, while the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece has beautifully restored the Villa of Mehmet Kapandji (Pierro Arrigoni, 1893). The Villa Modiano (Eli Modiano, 1906) is currently home to the Folk Life and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia and Thrace. The Geni Tzami (Vitaliano Poselli, 1902), the mosque of the Ma’min community, housed the archaeological museum for years. It’s now a cultural space, under the auspices of the Municipal Art Gallery. The Exoches was a sociable district, and it still is: there are fine cafés in the gardens of the Villa Modiano and the Casa Bianca, as well as at the Epavli Marokkou by the Villa Chatzilazarou, and at the former Villa Michailidi, near the Geni Tzami. Belle Epoque glamour hasn’t vanished from the Exoches, and it’s doubtful that history has finished with this area yet, either.• N.B. The exhibitions curated by Yiannis Epaminondas, architect and director of the Thessaloniki Centre of the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, have been valuable resources for this piece, as has the director himself.

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University AND ITS DOORS ARE NOW OPEN TO THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COMMUNITY.

of Thessaloniki 9 4 — GREECE IS

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T E X T: N ATA S H A B L AT S I O U PHOTOS: OLGA DEIKOU

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the university

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No one outside G reece really talks about

CANDIDATES HAVE TO E XCEL IN THE COUNTRY’S ANNUAL NATIONWIDE UNIVERSIT Y E X AMS, A TRANSPARENT AND MERIT- BASED SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE BEST OF E ACH YE AR’S STUDENT CROP TO SECURE A SPOT AT THE SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE. 9 6 — GREECE IS

Greek universities. The country’s higher education institutes are public, their courses are predominantly in Greek and they're less than a century old, in contrast to many of their European counterparts, which boast roots stretching back to the Middle Ages. That's not the case, however, with Greek scientists. And I don’t mean Thales of Miletus, Pythagoras or Aristotle. I mean that the ratio of scientists produced by the country today is huge relative to the size of its population. Even though Greeks make up just 0.2 percent of the world’s population, they account for 3 percent of top-ranking scientists, according to the Google Scholar database (Annual Panhellenic Medical Conference, 2015). Most of them, largely as a result of the financial crisis, no longer live in Greece, but they did study at a university here first. Can this phenomenon, therefore, be attributed to the education they received? The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) was recently thrust into the limelight by Albert Bourla. The chairman and chief executive of Pfizer, the pharma giant that gave the world its first signs of hope in the pandemic with its vaccine against Covid-19, has spoken in glowing terms of the university in his native Thessaloniki. “I was recently assigned the formidable responsibility of leading one of the biggest companies in the world. But I've never forgotten where I started and who I owe this to. And the University of Thessaloniki is among them,” Bourla said in his acceptance speech for an honorary doctorate from the institution in December 2019. The AUTh, which has produced many other respected academics and scientists as well, is the largest university in Greece and in southeastern Europe, both in terms of its active student population and of its schools. With dozens of workshops, laboratories and clinics, it also boasts the greatest breadth of disciplines in the country. Candidates have to excel in the country’s annual nationwide university exams, a transparent and merit-based system in a country that has been accused of the opposite – we all remember the “Greek statistics” fiasco – and that allows the best of each year’s student crop to secure a spot at the school of their choice, from medicine to archaeology.

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The interior and exterior of the Old Building of the Philosophy School, AUTh's oldest department

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THE 2022 EDITION

The Ceremonial Hall in the Old Building of the Philosophy School

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the university

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The Dean of the Philosophy School of AUTh, Professor Konstantinos Bikos, in the Museum of Casts, School of History and Archaeology of AUTh.

Pockets of excellence

IN NUMBERS With 42 departments and 11 schools, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki offers more subjects than any other in Greece. It boasts an active student body of some 50,000 undergraduates and postgraduates and has 61 clinics (medicine, dentistry and veterinarian medicine), 295 workshops and 23 study centers. It carried out 6,000 research projects in the five-year period from 2016 to 2020 worth a total of €50-65 million a year, in cooperation with around a thousand international partners. These projects employed 2,753 permanent academic staff and 6,403 associates (including PhD students and postgrads). 1 0 0 — GREECE IS

It's very early in the morning as I walk along the coastal road from the port to the AUTh campus. The humid weather has produced a thick fog that gives this northern city an incredible otherworldly atmosphere that only the late renowned filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos managed to capture so vividly on the silver screen. As I reach my destination, the gathering heat clears the sky, and I'm brought back to Greek reality and all its sharp contrasts: aged infrastructure sagging beside shiny new buildings and badly signposted streets leading higgledy-piggledy to cutting-edge science labs and unkempt lecture theaters packed to the rafters with students. These are some of the very real conditions that spur many aspiring Greek scientists to think outside the box to survive (and often to go on to greater things), but also discourage others and saps them of their drive. I meet Rector Nikos Papaioannou on the seventh floor of the administration building that towers over the sprawling campus. Although the usual career trajectory in Greece would entail moving from Thessaloniki to Athens, he grew up in the capital but has spent his entire university career here, first as a student of veterinary medicine and then as a professor. His fondness for the university is apparent. He's also the director of the Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and continues to teach. “Interaction with each new generation of scientists is what the profession of professor is all about,” he says. It is equally important to shape the young students in an environment that is not devoid of challenges, he adds. “A university is not just a place where knowledge is propagated; it also helps mold a student’s personality and their social skills. This happens through the process of being taught, asking questions and even doubting. A democratic discussion, a democratic THE 2022 EDITION

"A U N I V ERS I T Y IS N OT J US T A PL AC E W H ER E K N OW L ED G E IS PR O PAG AT ED; I T A L S O H EL P S M O L D A S T U D EN T’S PERS O N A L I T Y A N D T H EI R S O C I A L S K IL L S. T HIS H A P PEN S T H R O U G H T H E PR O C ES S O F B EI N G TAU G H T, A S K I N G Q U ES T I O N S A N D E V EN D O U B T I N G ." — R EC TO R N I KO S PA PA I OA N N O U

As the academic community threw itself into the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020 an interdisciplinary team at the AUTh that specializes in wastewater analysis joined the state effort to monitor the course of the virus and make policy decisions on that basis. In contrast to the usual practice of individual laboratories producing studies on the presence of the virus in sewage, the AUTh team took a horizontally interdisciplinary approach to the issue. The comprehensive process it devised offers a quantitative assessment of the virus’ presence in the population over time. In other words, it provides a reliable index of the virus’ prevalence in the community. It was a tool that was quickly adopted by other groups of experts in Europe. The process begins with the collection of samples from the entry point of Thessaloniki’s sewage treatment plant, carried out in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Water and Sewerage Company (EYATH), the Regional Authority of Central Macedonia and the National Organization of Public Health (EODY).

the researchers

WASTEWATER EPIDEMIOLOGY TEAM The future of the pandemic in numbers

The samples then go to a team of environmental engineering technologists who conduct a series of measurements on their environmental parameters. Chemical engineers take over next, with more analyses aimed at identifying any obstacles like other substances that may stand in the way of measuring the actual presence of the virus. Then the presence of the virus is measured and quantified by a team of molecular biologists and virologists. Last but not least, the findings are handed over to a team of epidemiologists who compare and assess the measurements. The entire team is helped by experts who specialize in the development of theoretical physiochemical models for rationalizing measurements on the basis of the wastewater’s qualitative characteristics.

•The AUTh’s wastewater epidemiology team is run by its rector,

Nikos Papaioannou, and staffed by scientists from the laboratories and clinics of the departments of Medicine, Chemistry, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Civil Engineering, and Spatial Planning and Development. THESSALONIKI

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the university

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In the Scientific Reading Room of the Library and Information Center of AUTh

rivalry is healthy in the contours of academic behavior.” He boasts of the high caliber of AUTh graduates and how they go on to postgraduate studies at top international universities and jobs at leading firms. He attributes much of this success to Greek education’s public character, which allows good students a chance at university regardless of their financial situation. The university’s international rankings confirm what is best explained by George Karagiannidis, a professor of digital communications systems at the 1 0 2 — GREECE IS

AUTh’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I meet him at the Laboratory of Wireless Communications and Information Processing (WCIP), where a team is working on cutting-edge research in 5G and 6G wireless communication systems, wireless charging, and communications between biomedical applications. Karagiannidis and Athens University Professor and Rector Thanos Dimopoulos are the only Greek scientists to have featured for seven successive years on the list of the world’s most Highly Cited THE 2022 EDITION

Researchers by Clarivate Analytics (formerlyThomson Reuters). “The AUTh has a very big student population, which makes it hard to achieve a high position in international university ranking, but it's an entirely public education system that has students of a very high academic caliber and pockets of undisputed international excellence. The teams we put together at the AUTh are based on the principle of interdisciplinarity, which is the cornerstone of research,” he notes. For example, I learn that

The AUTh’s first space science team was developed in 2015 by a group of 12 ambitious students from its School of Mechanical Engineering. The team has successfully built an unmanned aerial vehicle that took part in the 2017 Air Cargo Challenge, an international student competition. ASAT went on to expand in size and areas of specialization so that it now comprises 75 students from the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Civil Engineering, Architecture and even Journalism. It's active in the field of aerospace science, as well as in the development of high-powered unmanned rockets. The team operates under the auspices of the Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Turbomachinery at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and, meanwhile, has managed to become entirely self-funded thanks to sponsorship from a plethora of private companies.

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The team achieved a first this year, launching its highpowered Selene in the European Rocketry Challenge, while it also took part in the Spaceport America Cup 2021. Selene also plays a part in a research experiment: by releasing a payload at 10,000 ft, it can measure the radioactive concentration in the atmosphere from apogee to landing. The team’s next goals include the development of the high-powered Andromeda rocket and competing with it at the Spaceport America Cup 2022 in the US, as well as the Aeolus drone, which is slated for entry at the Air Cargo Challenge 2022 in Munich. Phoenix is another project that's under development, an autonomous aerial vehicle that runs entirely on solar energy, has a 24-hour flight span and can be used for locating wildfire hazards. •Info: asat.gr

the researchers

ARISTOTLE SPACE & AERONAUTICS TEAM (ASAT) Flights to the future

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the researchers

The laboratories of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology have been busy this past year with undergraduates working tirelessly on an ambitious project to diagnose pancreatic cancer in its early stages. The 11 members of the team working on the project specialize in the fields of biology, physics, information technology, electrical and computer engineering, molecular biology and genetics, and are working in cooperation with their scientific supervisor, Ioannis Vizirianakis, an associate professor of pharmacology. The team aspires to develop a molecular diagnostic tool that will identify first and second stage adenocarcinoma in the

pancreas with a simple urine test. If successful, the team will have made a significant breakthrough as pancreatic cancer is largely asymptomatic in its early stages and the majority of patients are not diagnosed until stage four, when the cancer may have spread and the chances of successful treatment and survival are much lower. It is a method that can be applied by diagnostic labs easily, quickly and cheaply, by analyzing urine samples from older people and people who are at risk of the disease, such as diabetics. The team has already received two awards for the idea and its impact, from the Alexander Innovation Zone and the iGEM organization, respectively. In November 2021, it also received the gold medal at the prestigious International Synthetic Biology Competition organized by the iGEM Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organization created at the initiative of MIT and dedicated to the evolution of synthetic biology.

•Info: LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram: igem.thessaloniki

IGEM THESSALONIKI TEAM Investing in prevention 1 0 4 — GREECE IS

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the university The Amphitheater of the Old Building of the Philosophy School

the university holds the top spot in the ranks of Greek universities and research foundations in the field of computer science and electronics, in the list published by Guide2Research for 2021. In the humanities, too, its department of Classical Studies is 14th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject List published by Quacquarelli Symonds. The AUTh is also responsible for one of the biggest initiatives in Greece for encouraging the greater

global outreach of the country’s educational system. Apart from the foreign-language courses organized by many departments every year and a very strong presence in the Erasmus program (it had 700 foreign students last year), as well as several English-language postgraduate programs that are mainly chosen by Greek students, the university just launched a degree program in English at the School of Medicine for foreign students only. For the first time, 60 students from 31 THESSALONIKI

countries are studying at the AUTh – and the benefits are mutual. “The advantages for the students are a school with a good reputation, 82 clinics and laboratories where they can study every kind of medical condition, and lower tuition fees compared to other countries,” says the rector. “And for us, the revenues from tuition fees go towards improving the Medical School’s facilities and the students go on to become ambassadors for Greece, propagating the Greek language and culture.” GREECE IS — 1 0 5

the researchers MEDICAL PHYSICS & DIGITAL INNOVATION TEAM Connecting science and people The Medical School’s multidisciplinary laboratory is a vibrant hive that designs, develops and evaluates technological systems and innovative methodologies aimed at assisting the day-to-day lives of vulnerable groups, improving patients’ health and quality of life, and bolstering the training of health professionals. The lab is conducting more than 30 research programs and relies on volunteers from the community. The Neuroscience of Cognition and Affection group is working on experiments whereby volunteers wear caps with electrodes attached to devices that analyze different brain functions (such as speech centers or areas associated with the perception of music) and the connectivity of different areas, or pathways. Then, specially designed software can help offset defects and improve overall mental and physical health. Right next door, a room has been turned into a living lab, meaning a space where subjects are studied in real conditions. Volunteers who have mobility problems and/or are elderly are observed as they go about their day-to-day activities here so that the scientists can gather physical and behavioral data that will help them develop digital tools to improve their quality of life. These include, for example, a device that detects the presence of an elderly person and guides them, either around the space or through interactions, as well as a virtual coaching system that does things such as reminding elderly people to take an umbrella when it’s raining or telling them how to cook a simple meal. •Info: https://medphys.med.auth.gr 1 0 6 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

Research is also focused on developing a toolbox of interactive virtual applications for medical training. It will, for example, allow doctors to “touch” the human body realistically, to participate in sessions designed to improve empathy and patient management, and even create escape rooms where doctors will need to solve medical conundrums to free themselves. End-stage patients also take part in experiential interventions designed to help them relax and to improve their quality of life when they’re in palliative care. Special applications that make daily chores like vacuuming easier are also being developed for chronic pain patients. The laboratory’s director and supervisor, Professor Panagiotis Bamidis, believes in research that starts at the behest of the local community. “Our vision is to... turn our city into a living lab where we can apply activities and simulations to help improve day-to-day life,” he says.

the university Students: A city lifeline The AUTh is inextricably connected to the city. “The wealth of research conducted by members of the academic community does not remain restricted to the campus walls but reaches society and the economy with the participation of the citizens themselves,” says Papaioannou. “Its students, moreover, are a key driver of Thessaloniki’s growth and progress, and the university is the main ‘supplier’ of specialized scientists and researchers for all the international-caliber companies that are active in the city.” The inauguration of the Pfizer Center for Digital Innovation and its Global Centre for Business Operations and Services marked the most recent addition to a growing innovation hub that already exists in the city and includes the Alexander Innovation Zone, Thess INTEC and Cisco’s Digital Transformation and Digital Skills Center. But in purely economic terms too, research has shown that the AUTh contributes 20.7 million euros to the local economy every year directly and another 198 million or so indirectly. But Thessaloniki itself also holds many advantages for students, be they Greeks, Erasmus exchange students or foreign scholars at the new Medical School department. “We call the city ‘mother’ because young people leaving the family nest for the first time find themselves in a city that's friendly, with creative groups, student hangouts and everything they could want at hand,” says the rector. “For foreign students too, it is an interesting and multicultural city with a long history, and also a hub from which they can easily travel to Europe, the Balkans and the East.”•

The School of Education of AUTh

"WE CALL THE CIT Y ‘MOTHER’ BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE LE AVING THE FAMILY NEST FOR THE FIRST TIME FIND THEMSELVES IN A CIT Y THAT'S FRIENDLY, WITH CRE ATIVE GROUPS, STUDENT HANGOUTS AND E VERY THING THE Y COULD WANT AT HAND." THESSALONIKI

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T E X T: PA N D E L I S T S O M PA N I S I L L U S T R AT I O N : P H I L L I P O S AV R A M I D E S

coming -of-age

GETTING INTO a Greek university isn't easy. It requires years of hard study, at least if you want to get onto the program of your choice. I wanted to study journalism, and I was accepted on a degree program for that, but I remember that when I received my results, I didn’t think of it as the luckiest day of my life. I landed a place in the university of my hometown. The same place in whose reading rooms I took refuge to study when at high school was where I would return. Another round of the same, then, just as my friends were preparing for the great escape, to other cities and other countries. Thankfully, my disappointment soon ebbed away. A group project on the financials of a certain media outlet became the first bonding experience. Who cared about the subject matter? It was enough to ask “Do you want to work on it together?” We found ourselves arranging our first coffee session together as students near the White Tower – at the infamous Efimerida, the best-known student café in the city.

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It was never to be. We learned from the third-year students that getting a table was a real feat. Even this disappointment didn’t last long, when the seniors invited us to the little tavernas of the Refugee Market, at Bit Bazaar. The sound of the bouzouki and the clink of glasses filled with red wine brought us together with all the neighboring tables. Strangers among strangers, we joined in and sang along to popular songs, and by the end of the evening it was as if we'd known each other for years. It was amazing how easy it was to make new friends! In the end, I didn't mind at all being a student right on my own doorstep. Nowadays, a graduate with a new job in my back pocket and an Athens address, I enjoy returning to Thessaloniki to wander around my old haunts, observing how things have changed. The university campus separates the city center from the eastern suburbs. There's building after building, housing schools and labs. A beautiful old building is one of the homes for the Philosophy School, the earliest of the university departments, founded in 1926. An ancient Greek epigram decorates its façade: “Make sacrifices to the Muses and the Graces” – in other words, cultivate your mind and soul! That epigram is honored every day on the “lawns” – the park located between the newer building of the Philosophy School and the Dean’s Office. This is where students from various departments meet after classes to continue the endless discussion which usually start with notes exchanged during class. Students from the Surveying and Agricultural Engineering departments set up tripods for practical assignments, while other groups set up stalls for small pop-up thrift stores on the benches, selling second-hand clothes and hand-made jewelry – a cross between a bazaar and a yard sale – just as we used to do.

NOWADAYS, A GRADUATE WITH A NE W JOB IN MY BACK POCKE T AND AN ATHENS ADDRESS, I ENJOY RE TURNING TO THE CIT Y TO WANDER AROUND MY OLD HAUNTS, OBSERVING HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

Leaving the campus, I cross over to the pedestrianized Melenikou Street, where I once lined up to get free textbooks from the various publishing houses. This time, I stand in line for a fresh slice of pizza (€1.50) from one the pizzerias around the Rotunda, before heading for the Ladadika area. While the streets are permanently gridlocked, distances within the city are short. Buses are almost unnecessary, although worth taking a ride to confirm the standing jokes among students about the standards of driving. According to one of these, drivers hand out pole-dancing certificates to those passengers still standing at the end of the route. The Ladadika district is where the city’s nightlife gathers on weekdays. Every Wednesday, Greek and foreign students meet for the famous Erasmus parties at the 8Ball nightclub. This is our opportunity to get to know one another, as our paths don’t often cross, and they have a full schedule – so much to discover in a short time! After morning classes, they all go for lunch in the student dining hall, while in the afternoons some go climbing, others take dance lessons, or go for karaoke, bowling or a pub crawl; nearly all take advantage of the excursions organized by the Erasmus Student Network. As night falls, I'm reminded of Nikephoros Choumnos, a 14th-century Byzantine philosopher who wrote “No one is without a homeland as long as there is Thessaloniki.” The floodlights of the Trigonio Tower come on. The sidewalks around the pizzerias and creperies of Navarinou Square fill with young people. 1 1 0 — GREECE IS

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MY WAY

DIVERSIT Y MEETS ACCEPTANCE AT THE “MY WAY” SCHOOL OF ENGLISH

There's no need to rush. You get your head out of the books, and you live life. You throw yourself into your studies and you lose touch with life, but you get ahead in class. At times you're awake until the early hours of Sunday, not caring what you'll wear when you go out or what you'll look like. There's coffee, backgammon and cards. Friends, too, transitory or permanent. There are acquaintances you bump into, whether you want to or not. Other peoples’ homes, other peoples’ beds. Packages of home-cooked food arrive by bus. There's waiting, misunderstandings, delays. Sour notes at Bit Bazaar and cinema masterpieces at the International Film Festival. Cut to darkness. Guitars are playing by the port with a view of the sea and the White Tower in the background. I woke up this morning with the melody of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” playing in my head, that guitar of his and that voice: “Backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out/I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt/I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.”•

“My Way,” the only school of English in Thessaloniki

exclusively for students with Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs) is turning five years old. The team, created by Xenia Konstantinopoulou and Viveta Limperaki, now consists of six EFL-SpLDs teachers. Winner of an ELT Excellence Award, the team participates in seminars and conferences in Greece and abroad and collaborates with many experts in the field. “We train the mind together with the heart and we're inspired by the different way our students' brains are wired,” Xenia explains. “Our vision is to encourage, motivate and inspire our students.” Her colleague concurs. “Accepting what makes them different and showing respect to the personality of each individual is the most important thing for us,” Viveta says. “We accommodate our students’ special needs and provide equal opportunities for success.” In the school's secure and comfortable environment, teaching is based on a variety of customised and novel learning tools, including, among others, interpersonal communication, multi-direction stimulation, e-learning and dog therapy reading classes. How easy is it for a student with dyslexia or other learning difficulties to learn English? “We know that students with SpLDs can learn English by using the appropriate methodology,” they point out. “Following a personalised, multi-sensory structured approach, they can decode the language and then everything starts making sense. Learning does not have to be difficult, you just need to find the right way to do it.”

➺ mywaydyslexia.com

IN THE X I N O M AV R O Z O N E AMYNTAIO-NAOUSSA: A road trip through Greece’s most rapidly developing wine region. T E X T: J O H N PA PA D I M I T R I O U P H O T O S : K O N S TA N T I N O S T S A K A L I D I S

PANORAMIC The four lakes of the Amyntaio Plateau contribute to the perfect microclimate for growing grapes.

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The owners of the Alpha Estate, Makis Mavridis and Angelos Iatridis, try a wine straight from the barrel.

Harvesting peppers at Naoumidis’ farm.

November 1st is International Xinomavro Day.

THIS PARTICUL AR REGION, WHICH RE ACHES A MA XIMUM ELE VATION OF 750 ME TERS, WAS DECL ARED THE PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN (PDO) ZONE OF AMYNTAIO IN 1972. 1 1 4 — GREECE IS

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Chef Iliana Kontosorou in the cellar of the restaurant Kontosoros in the village of Xino Nero.

Chef Angelos Naoumidis creates delicious dishes based on fish and shellfish from Vegoritida Lake.

ters west of Thessaloniki, the Amyntaio plateau is surrounded by the imposing mountains of Vermio, Vitsi and Kaimaktsalan. The plateau is composed of mountainous landmasses and two lakes, Vegoritida and Petron, offering the ideal terroir for wine grape cultivation. With dry summers and sandy terrain above a limestone layer, the region’s climate and geography are ideal for vineyards. In fact, the entire plateau was once a lake. This particular region, which reaches a maximum altitude of 750 meters, was declared the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Amyntaio zone in 1972. It produces rosé, red and sparkling wines comprised of Xinomavro, a red grape variety that usually yield wines with high acidity, plenty of tannins and the potential for aging. The wineproducing region includes nine wineries with a total of 22 PDO labels. It's also the largest producer of sparkling wines in the country, and can boast of having preserved some of the oldest Greek grapevines, over 100 years old and unaffected by phylloxera.

WINE AS A JOURNEY “Wine is a journey.” Sending this message from Amyntaio a few months ago where she was attending a conference on wine tourism, Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki highlighted that wine tourism is a reliable, alternative option of sustainable development. The wider region is in search of a new financial model, as all coal-fired power plants that currently support the region’s economy are expected to shut down by 2025. The Greek and foreign journalists reporting on the conference were excited to hear Angelos Iatridis, one of the two owners of ALPHA ESTATE, announce that they THESSALONIKI

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are advising the Municipality of Amyntaio, in collaboration with the Geotechnical Engineering Department of the National Technical University of Athens, regarding the transformation of an abandoned mine into a vineyard. “We will develop a form of contract production with wine producers, after offering them training in the enchanting setting of the ALPHA ESTATE winery,” he noted. Founded in 1997 by Angelos Iatridis and Makis Mavridis, the 2,200-square-meter estate is based on a sustainable development model. It operates with an underground irrigation system, often uses a tracking system for strict inspections on the cultivation of each vine – soon, each bottle will have a QR code that links to a video of each field – while it is also in the process of establishing a recycling unit to produce soil enhancers. In addition, the estate is also working on creating an impressive 3,000-square-meter cellar as part of the production of a new semi-sparkling wine, and the construction of a model guesthouse and restaurant.

The Kir-Yianni Estate’s iconic tower, which was restored in the 1980s.

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HAUTE GASTRONOMY In three villages close to ALPHA ESTATE there are restaurants that promote local gastronomy and the produce of the land. The restaurant Kontosoros (kontosoros.gr) is undoubtedly the leader. It’s located in the village of Xino Nero, where the natural sparkling water of the same name is produced. Among the traditional family recipes here, the sout makalo (beef meatballs in a thick saffron roux sauce) is a stand-out. The name comes from the word “maka”, which in the local tongue means “to dunk.” West of Zazari Lake, in Sklithro, the Paspalis family has been running the Thomas restaurant since 1951, serving regional culinary delights. These include multicolored pulses, mushrooms and batzos, a semi-hard white cheese usually made from goat milk. Towards Vegoritida, a lake with impressive heron colonies, you'll find Naoumidis, whose menu is based on delicacies from the lake. Try the langoustine in red

Winemaker Apostolos Thymiopoulos at his biodynamic vineyard in Trilofo in Veria.

HORSEBACK RIDING At Sklithro, Dimitris Kesoglidis operates the Artemis activity center (artemisoe.gr) that offers a plethora of outdoor nature experiences: horse riding, mushroom collecting and spending the night in the forest, among others.

THE 2022 EDITION

sauce, and the grilled carp. Chef Angelos Naoumidis also organizes lake excursions (Tel. +30 23860.612.38), which include fishing and cooking. His brother Petros Naoumidis creates special gustatory products at his organic pepper farm (piperiesflorinis.gr), located near the restaurant. Since 2008, he's been making products using a bilocular pepper, the platika, which has a sweet flavor and an intoxicating aroma. His

ALPHA ESTATE's underground cellar.

YIANNAKOCHORI

green pepper pesto and piperokama, a spicy sundried pepper spread, are bestsellers worth stocking up on.

THE NAOUSSA WINE REGION On the other side of Vermio, the PDO wine region of Naoussa, the second largest region producing wine from the Xinomavro grape variety, extends to the east and southeast. Here, the climate is warmer than in Amyntaio. Due to several differences in climate and terroir, the wines here feature different characteristics, despite being from the same variety and cultivated less than 100 kilometers apart. Wines produced in Amyntaio are crispy and fruity, with longer-lasting aromatic qualities, while those from Naoussa have more body and tannins. Today, 22 wineries operate on the outskirts of the city. Some are small family businesses that produce less than 15,000 bottles a year, like Petros Karydas’ winery (Tel. (+30) 697.743.7592) in Ano Gastra. But one of the most important wineries in the country is Kir-Yianni, in Yiannakochori.

HIKING Vermio is ideal for hiking excursions. Experienced mountain guide Giorgos Kesaridis (Tel. (+30) 694.8516.659) will help you safely explore the mythical mountain of Semele, mother of Dionysus. The natural pools at Metamorfosi and Gournosovo footbridge are breathtaking. THESSALONIKI

Although approximately 90% of Kir-Yianni’s wines are produced at the sister winery in Amyntaio, Stellios Boutaris envisions transforming the landmark winery in the Yiannakochori area into an international destination, with Xinomavro as the star. With a glass of Ramnista, the company’s celebrated Xinomavro, in hand, he guides us around the winery’s new spaces that include an open-plan kitchen, shop and a wine-tasting bar. At the same time in the patio spaces, young children are watching a musical fairytale about the lifecycle of the grapevine. The estate offers visitors a variety of experiences within the winery itself, as well as in the vineyards, such as bicycle rides, picnics and hiking trails. In Yiannakochori it is also worth visiting organic wine producer Kostas Kelesidis' estate (ktimakelesidi.gr). In addition to Merchali, a rustic version of Xinomavro, he produces a white wine called Evodeas, which is a blend of Malagousia and Xinomavro. You can enjoy these organic wines with GREECE IS — 1 1 7

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meze at Krasta, a nearby grill house (Tel. (+30) 23320.513.88). Opt for one of the house specials: cow head (with tongue) or pork brisket.

A NEW GENERATION OF WINE PRODUCERS In the last 15 years, ambitious new winemakers have added to the long history of wine production in Naoussa, and been recognized for their different approach to winemaking. Kostis Dalamaras (Tel. (+30) 23320.283.21) in Naoussa, and Apostolos Thymiopoulos (thymiopoulosvineyards.gr) in Trilofos in Imathia are characteristic examples. The former is continuing his family tradition, which dates from 1840, but using new methods. In his winery, with its wooden benches, old tools and raki alembic, he proudly serves Paliokalias (when it isn't sold out), a wine of 100% Xinomavro grapes grown in an old vineyard of the same name. It’s the most famous wine made here, and the estate’s flagship product. The winery of Thymiopoulos is located in the south of the region and produces some of Naoussa's best-known and most expensive wines (100% Xinomavro). He was one of the first wine producers who attempted to harvest and make wine exclusively from specific separate vineyards. His three favorite vines, Vrana Petra, Aftorizo and Kaiafas, all have different terroirs and grow at different elevations, producing Xinomavro grapes with completely different characteristics, both in appearance and in flavor.

NAOUSSA ISN’T JUST KNOWN FOR ITS WINE; THERE’S PLENT Y OF CULTURE TO BE HAD AS WELL. IT'S IMPRESSIVE HOW SUCH A SMALL PL ACE HAS SO MUCH HISTORY AND ART.

slow-cooked lamb, ask the owner if you can try his cellar-aged wine. Of course, Naoussa isn’t just known for its wine; there’s plenty of culture to be had as well. It’s impressive how such a small place has so much history and art. First inhabited during the Roman period, it has a rich industrial past as in the 19th and 20th centuries it was a center for the textile industry. Visit the Genitsaroi and Boules Society (Tel. (+30) 23320.226.71), housed in a traditional listed building in the city center near the watermill, to learn about the famous carnival tradition. You should also drop in at the hotel Palea Poli to admire the paintings of local artist Giorgos Badolas. Wandering the alleys of the town, you may notice that modern art has the power to transform entire neighborhoods: artist Alexandros Tsakonas and other international participants in the Naoussa Urban Art Festival have turned Naoussa into an outdoor art museum, with their works decorating the facades of multiple buildings.•

GASTRONOMY & CULTURE At Naoussa’s restaurants, you can taste the local cuisine and native wines in pairings that seem made in heaven. Spondi (Tel. (+30) 23320.222.33) serves haute cuisine with delicious meze; you must try the gavropsara, pickled eggplant ribbons coated in flour and fried in hot oil. At Oinomageiremata (Tel. (+30) 23320.235.76), a traditional taverna famed for its 1 1 8 — GREECE IS

ARCTUROS The Arcturos Sanctuary (arcturos.gr) in the picturesque village of Nymfaio is home today to 16 brown bears; you can visit until early January. Tours include a 20-minute seminar on the life of this impressive mammal, and a walk around the park. In Agrapidies, at the Wolf Sanctuary, there are three newly acquired lynxes, a wild animal formerly extinct in Greece. All the animals at Arcturos are rescues. THE 2022 EDITION

The Tower of Ouranoupoli is one of the most impressive landmarks in the area.

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In the shadow of Athos A tour of the Holy Mountain, without gender discrimination or formalities. T E X T: A L E X I A K A L A I T Z I P H O T O S : A L E X A N D R O S AV R A M I D I S

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N “NO ENTRY.” This warning to

women, above a massive stop sign, leaves no room for doubt. From here begins “a great place,” says our guide and archaeologist, Tasos Papadopoulos, who shows us the barbed wire stretching down to the sea and dividing Mt Athos, an autonomous polity of historic monasteries, from the rest of the world. We're on the Athos Peninsula, known as the third finger of Halkidiki, just two hours from Thessaloniki. Guided by Thessaloniki Walking Tours, our expedition begins with this unexpected “restriction.” We're embarking on a fascinating route that takes in the long history of the monastic state, touches upon ancient Greece, and reveals a little-known story of WWII.

THE “UNDISPUTED” BAN Across the border, we can see stone buildings that look like they belong to a different age. This is Agion Oros, or “The Holy Mountain” as it's known in Greek. The history of this autonomous entity, with its 20 monasteries and 2,000 monks, began 11 centuries ago, when the first hermit monks came to the area. On a 3-meter goatskin parchment dating from AD 963 is etched the first statute recognizing the rights of these holy men. The status of Mt Athos has not been challenged by anyone ever since. Everyone and anyone who has held power has respected the Athonite State: from Ottoman

Top: A sign warns women not to enter. Above and left: The Zygou Monastery is the only monastic structure on the peninsula that's accessible to women.

sultans and the modern Greek state, to even Nazi Germany. Nobody dared attack this place. The ban on entry for women pilgrims (and female animals) was established in the 11th century. Men, however, can visit the monasteries here regardless of their religion. “It's unbelievable that men of different religions are permitted entry, but not women!” complains a tour participant. Some support respecting the rules of a historic, religious landmark, while others speak of a sexist, anachronistic philosophy that goes against women’s rights. THESSALONIKI

The ban has been transgressed on several occasions. Our guide describes an instance in 1821, following the failure of the Greek Revolution in Halkidiki, when women and children sought refuge in the monasteries to save themselves from certain slaughter. However, this was not the reason Aliki Diplarakou came here in 1930. Pulling out an iPad, our guide shows us a black and white image of a beauty. Diplarakou, the daughter of a well-to-do family and winner of a Miss Europe beauty GREECE IS — 1 2 3

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pageant, was vacationing on a yacht, sailing the sea in Ierissos. Upon hearing about the ban, she decided to breach it: she borrowed clothes from a sailor and entered Mt Athos disguised as a man. She then sought to become front-page news, bragging about her achievement. Papadopoulos tell us about the urban legend that surfaced, claiming the young woman fell deeply ill soon after. They say this prompted her to write a public apology, pleading to the monk elders for forgiveness. The pardon came and Diplarakou died much later, in 2002, at the ripe age of 90.

INFO Thessaloniki Walking Tours organizes thematic walks in Thessaloniki and cultural trips throughout Greece and to select destinations abroad, on prearranged dates by request. Participation begins from €35 per person, and tours are offered in Greek and in English (Tel. (+30) 2310.424.916; (+30) 697.818.6901; (+30) 694.447.6126, info@ thessalonikiwalkingtours.com).

AN ATHONITE MONASTERY FOR ALL Leaving the border of the Athonite state behind us, we walk along the dirt road under the shade of plane trees, and within minutes come across the remains of Zygou Monastery, an Athonite community dating from the 10th century. “This is the only monastery that once belonged to Agion Oros which women are permitted to visit,” our guide informs us. Zygou did not survive more than 250 years; its proximity to the sea rendered it vulnerable to pirate attacks. Listening to Papadopoulos’ vivid account and walking through the ruins, it's easy to imagine the monk’s daily routine: the bread baking in the ovens, the meals shared in the dining hall, the wine they made and the hymns they sang during mass.

THE TOWER OF LOVE Pilgrims traveling into Mt Athos begin by taking the boat from the port of Ouranoupoli, the area’s tourist and administrative center. Following the coastal road connecting the Zygou Monastery and this port, we spot a stone-built Byzantine tower before us. Exactly one century ago, at this very spot, Sydney and Joice Locke (from Scotland and Australia, 1 2 4 — GREECE IS

respectively) arrived from Poland to assist the refugees from Asia Minor who'd fled persecution during World War I. The couple gave the ruins of the tower a new lease of life, and made it the springboard of their amazing life, which focused on love and service. In the tower, Joice set up a small trade and crafts industry, teaching young refugee girls to work the loom and make handcrafted rugs. The rugs they created were so ornate, they won many awards and helped the women earn their first income. The Lockes did not stop there, however. During World War II, putting their own life at risk, they participated in a rescue mission to save more than 1000 Jewish women and children from the Nazis. We get a taste of their adventurous life as we climb the tower and look through the rooms. Photographs of the couple abound, but one object impresses me more: the old Remington typewriter on a wooden table facing the sea, on which the two humanitarians wrote their memoirs.

A HOLY PLACE

A BAN ON ENTRY FOR WOMEN PILGRIMS WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 11TH CENTURY. MEN, HOWE VER, CAN VISIT THE MONASTERIES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELIGION. THE 2022 EDITION

We end up having a cold coffee in Ouranoupoli, in front of the beach, before setting off on our return. Our last stop is the hill, covered in olive trees, next to the ruins of the ancient city of Akanthos. The sea stretches out before us. Papadopoulos tells us that from here sailed the triremes of Xerxes in the 5th century BC; ships from the German navy did, too, during WWII, and were attacked by Greek resistance fighters hidden in nearby bays. With the ancient ruins behind us and facing the endless blue, our archaeologist lets us stand under the olive trees and contemplate the boundless history of this land and how many people it inspired and motivated. Perhaps this is what the worker who painted the sign above the wooden kiosk where we were resting was thinking, too. The sign reads: “Here, where you've come to admire this grandeur, is a holy place.”•

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Top: A photo of the humanitarian Joice Locke, who made the tower her home. Above: On Mt Athos, it seems as if time is standing still. Opposite: Walking through the beautiful countryside of Halkidiki's easternmost peninsula. THESSALONIKI

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The Rape of Persephone Hades carries Persephone off to the Underworld. Fresco from Tomb I. Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai.

A IGA I R E ACHES NEW HEIGHTS Long known for its royal tombs and its renowned ill-fated king, Philip II, ancient Aigai is now the focus of a new, larger museum at Vergina, slated to bring a groundbreaking digital focus on Alexander the Great. T E X T: J O H N L E O N A R D

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history PHILIP II WOULD BE PROUD. The brash, battle-scarred

king of ancient Macedonia (ruled 359-336 BC) was a man of action, unsatisfied like his predecessors simply to rule over the traditional Macedonian territory, extended long before by Alexander I (498-454 BC) but since then collapsing, whose royal heartland lay near Veria, south of present-day Thessaloniki. During his reign, Philip set out determinedly to expand his kingdom far beyond any previously known frontiers. He successfully took over or consolidated surrounding regions through a combination of hard-fought military campaigning and shrewd diplomatic moves that often involved new ties and loyalties created through seven calculated marriages. His fourth, best-known wife, who bore him his destined-to-be-great son Alexander, was Olympia – a princess-turned-long-suffering queen and fiercely protective mother who hailed from Epirus, to the west. Not only did Philip establish a remarkable sphere of hegemony that stretched from Paeonia (now North Macedonia) to southern Greece and Thrace (some 43,000 square kilometers), but he laid the groundwork and introduced innovative military weapons and tactics that would allow Alexander to elevate Macedonia even further, as master of a “global” empire reaching far to the East. Today, present-day Macedonians, led by archaeologist and ephorate director Angeliki Kottaridi, are once again putting northern Greece on the map and in the spotlight, as a new program to develop and promote the ancient Macedonian capital of Aigai (Vergina) comes to impressive fruition. Particularly exciting is the foundation of a large new museum at Aigai, which is slated to open around Eastertime next year (2022), according to Kottaridi, and looks about to become Greece’s latest world-class museum – showcasing the extraordinary achievements, lives, art, architecture and artifacts of Philip, Alexander and other royals and nobles who once inhabited or were laid to rest at Aigai.

A LANDSCAPE DOT TED WITH TUMULI

Aigai Treasure Trove Top: Portrait of Alexander the Great. Center: Tomb II's golden larnax. Bottom: gold foil relief of warriors. 1 2 8 — GREECE IS

Traveling today into Macedonia and the area of Thessaloniki, visitors are often struck by a particularly distinctive feature of the age-old landscape: low, prominent mounds, known as tumuli, which can be seen in many places rising protectively over the ancient burial spots of well-to-do Macedonian elites or respected warriors. The Pieria region near the Aliakmon River is one such district dotted with tumuli – more than 500 in the core Vergina/Palatitsia area – where, in the 1970s, the famous archaeologist Manolis Andronikos and his colleagues were systematically exploring these features in search of definitive evidence of the ancient Macedonian capital. An apparent palace structure had already been brought to light at Vergina (1961-1970) but in 1976 Andronikos began excavating the nearby Great Tumulus. The following year, as the painstaking excavation slogged on, penetrating deeper and deeper into the mound, the team THE 2022 EDITION

Ladies' Grave Goods Simple and lavish jewelry from Aigai, revealing the predilection of noble Macedonian noblewomen for personal elegance.

PHILIP II SUCCESSFULLY TOOK OVER OR CONSOLIDATED SURROUNDING REGIONS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF HARD - FOUGHT MILITARY CAMPAIGNING AND SHRE WD DIPLOMATIC MOVES.

DISCOVER

history

DISCOVER

finally made a remarkable discovery: an unspoiled, barrel-vaulted chamber tomb adorned with an elegant, Doric-style, temple-like façade. Behind its great stone doors, Andronikos found two unlooted rooms filled with luxurious gold, silver, ivory, bronze and iron objects of personal, ceremonial or utilitarian purpose; traces of richly decorated textiles; burned sacrificial foodstuffs; and, most importantly, a small golden chest (larnax) containing cremated human remains that the excavator identified as Philip II. A second burial in the tomb’s antechamber has been attributed to Meda, the king’s sixth, Thracian wife.

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONUNDRUM Since these extraordinary discoveries on November 8, 1977, much scholarly research and public interest have focused on a complex array of architectural, artifactual, art-historical and osteological evidence. Complicating the issue has been the fact that no personal names were originally attached to particular tombs by the ancient Macedonians, as we do today with inscribed, identifying gravestones; and that many Macedonian royals or other affluent citizens were regularly interred in costly, architecturally elaborate tombs filled with lavish personal items and other impressive grave goods. The difference with Tomb II at Aigai is that the burial was never plundered, but rather left in a pristine condition. The contents demonstrate just how prosperous the elite class of fourth-century BC Macedonian society had become. With over a thousand graves now having been excavated, many of them still containing traces indicative of high social status, one begins to understand the extraordinary riches once to be found in Aigai’s necropoleis – and the enormous attraction for ancient tomb raiders, who would often loot affluent graves, especially those of prominent figures, even only a short time after they had been sealed up. Aigai, with its hundreds of burial mounds, must have posed a tantalizing target, as made apparent in 273 1 3 0 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

Art in Miniature Intricately carved ivory figures, once adorning the chryselephantine dining couch of Alexander IV (Aigai, Tomb III).

THESSALONIKI

BC when Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded the city. Diodorus Siculus (22.12) records that after he sacked Aigai, Pyrrhus left his Gauls there; they, understanding the “ancient custom [that] much wealth was buried with the dead at royal funerals, dug up and broke into all the graves, divided up the treasure, and scattered the bones of the dead.” Now, the latest scientific findings from renewed analyses of both the pristine Tomb II and the adjacent severely looted Tomb I leave us with an even more perplexing archaeological puzzle. Despite media reports to the contrary, the problem of identification of the deceased in the much-debated Tomb II remains unsolved. On the one hand, physical anthropological studies of the human remains in the antechamber of Tomb II, by Theodore Antikas (2014), in combination with associated artifacts including a Scythian-style arrow quiver (gorytus) and a pair of leg-protecting greaves of unequal length, have shown that the female occupant was very likely Meda of Odessa, a Thracian princess, horsewoman and archer, aged 3034 years old, whose left leg appears to have been shorter than her right, due to a terrible, healed fracture detected in her left tibia. This fascinating identification would suggest her husband, Philip, was likely buried in the tomb’s main chamber. On the other hand, a meticulously documented analysis of human remains from Tomb I, by physical anthropologist Antonis Bartsiokas (2015), has revealed the presence of three individuals, including a male (about 45 years old), a female (18) and a 2-3-week-old infant. Their ages precisely correlate with the ages of Philip, his last wife, Cleopatra, and their young child, born just weeks before the king was assassinated in 336 BC in Aigai’s theater, just beside the royal palace. Even more intriguing, the male was found to have suffered a “flexional ankylosis” of the left knee, which resulted in “the fusion of the tibia with the femur … [a condition] caused by a severe wound to the knee, likely affected GREECE IS — 1 3 1

history

by a penetrating instrument, such as a fast-moving projectile (e.g. a spear).” The discovery of a distinctive, healed hole in the male’s knee points directly at Philip, who was well known to have suffered exactly such a spear wound three years before his death and to have exhibited a bad limp. So, was Philip in Tomb I, or Tomb II? No more recent studies, or the results of reported DNA analyses, have yet been published. Thus, the great mystery continues…

IN THE SHADOW OF VERMIO

NE W LIGHT IS BEING SHED ON PHILIP, ALE X ANDER, AIGAI AND ALL OF ANCIENT MACEDONIA, AS VERGINA IS SE T TO BECOME HOST TO A VAST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK.

Regardless of which Macedonian royal lies in which tomb, the identity of Aigai as the capital of Philip’s kingdom/empire is clear. The historian Herodotus (5th century BC) informs us that Perdiccas I, the founder of Macedonia, left Argos (about 700 BC) and eventually settled “near the Gardens of Midas,” in the “shadow of the mountain called Vermio,” not far from the confluence of the Aliakmon and Lydias (now Loudias) rivers and present-day Veria (13 km NW). Aigai means “goats” in ancient Greek, and it was here amid rolling, pastoral plains that many generations of leading Macedonians flourished. Archaeological

evidence indicates the site of Aigai was already well populated by the 10th century BC, becoming the Argead dynasty’s primary city (asty) in the mid-7th century BC. Recent investigations by Kottaridi show the palace was constructed during the reign of Philip. As Pella similarly developed during the 4th century BC and became the new royal seat and the birthplace of Alexander, Aigai came to serve as a seasonal center, its palace as a political, ceremonial and library-equipped philosophical gathering point. Between Pella and Aigai also lay Mieza, with its Sanctuary of the Nymphs and nearby gymnasium, where Alexander was tutored by the philosopher Aristotle. This was the verdant Macedonian homeland, the nurturing cradle from which Alexander emerged to take up the imperial reins after his father’s assassination and to boldly begin annexing a far-greater empire. Under Cassander’s later rule, following Alexander’s own demise (323 BC), Thessaloniki was founded (315 BC), a new Antipatrid dynasty was launched and Aigai appears to have become more of an historical monument to Macedonia’s regal past, whose defenses were reinforced with newly constructed city walls. With Rome’s subjugation of northern

Into the Earth Entrance ramp of the Great Tumulus and "underground" Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai, Vergina. 1 3 2 — GREECE IS

THE 2022 EDITION

DISCOVER

KONSTANTINOS TSAKALIDIS

Greece (168 BC), however, Macedonia’s capitals were despoiled and began to decline, with much of Aigai finally disappearing beneath a major landslide in the 1st century AD.

AIGAI, A RISING MACEDONIAN STAR Since the late 1990s, Vergina has been home to the unique Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai, where one can enter the reconstructed Great Tumulus and view “underground” its impressive graves. Now, however, new light is being shed on Philip, Alexander, Aigai and all of ancient Macedonia, as Vergina is set to become host, under Kottaridi’s leadership, to a vast archaeological park encompassing not only the Great Tumulus, but the entire site of Aigai that underlies and extends beyond the village. In addition to its main building and displays, now nearing completion at the entrance to Vergina, this new Polycentric Museum of Aigai, financed in part by regional authorities and the EU, will include the recently re-excavated and freshly presented palace, the theater, the existing Museum of the Royal Tombs and the nearby cluster of earliest Temenid-dynasty tombs (Cluster C). Through four main exhibitions within the enormous new museum, the focus now will be on Aigai’s overall urban landscape, with all of its royal, sacred, public, domestic, defensive and funerary features. The first exhibition, relates Kottaridi, will be a temporary, regularly changing, thematic exhibition. The second, in a large, glass-roofed atrium, comprises a 30m-long x 7m-tall reconstruction (with mostly original material) of the palace’s upper floor (the lower is currently being reconstructed in situ), revealing all the elements of the palace’s intricate architecture. The third, in another atrium, presents statuary; reliefs; important, mostly 4th-century BC inscriptions; royal dedications; and votive offerings. The fourth, and most extensive, illuminates life in ancient Aigai. Here visitors will find evocative traces of the city’s human population, including

A Palace Revealed Remains of the newly re-investigated and reconstructed royal palace at Aigai.

FURTHER READING • M. Andronicus, Vergina (2004). • A. Bartsiokas, et al., “The Lameness of King Philip II and Royal Tomb I at Vergina, Macedonia,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Aug 2015, 112 (32), pp. 9844-9848. doi.org/10.1073/ pnas.1510906112 • N.G.L. Hammond, “Philip's Tomb in Historical Context,” Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 19/4 (1978), 331-350. Online: • www.aigai.gr/en.html • www.seeker.com/remainsof-alexander-the-greats-fatherconfirmed-found-1769168761. html THESSALONIKI

graffiti, impressions of fingers and feet preserved in clay, representative faces depicted on figurines and even nails and door locks from ordinary homes. Displays also reveal Macedonian weaponry, including Philip’s innovative sarissa (long spear); the century-by-century evolution of banqueting – a core cultural practice – with all its accoutrements; the world of women; and the funerary practices and evidence of early burials dated to the pre-Philip era. The new Polycentric Museum will also be home to the virtual museum entitled Alexander the Great: From Aigai to the World, which will employ advanced information technology and technological tools to present, “in an integrated, scientifically valid and … appealing way,” the life and achievements of Macedonia’s great empire-builder and progenitor of the Hellenistic world. The building, scheduled to open in April 2022, will also incorporate fully-equipped conservation laboratories, storage spaces and facilities for visitor reception and educational programs. The first temporary exhibition, in collaboration with the Athens Numismatic Museum, will highlight the influence at Aigai of the newly expanded Greek World (oikoumene), as manifested through coins, sculptures, inscriptions and other objects that illustrate the inflow of foreign material culture and even the individual faces of foreign leaders (as portrayed on coins) now under the dominion of the far-reaching Macedonians.• GREECE IS — 1 3 3

travel

Mt Olympus THE THR EE PE A KS CH ALLENGE We climbed the highest points on the mountain of the gods in one day. TEXT/PHOTOS: OLGA CHARAMI

Looking across the Plateau of the Muses in the direction of the Christos Kakkalos Refuge.

travel

ADVENTURE

W WHY WOULD SOMEONE want

to climb the three highest peaks of Mount Olympus in one day? “Because they can,” answers my friend and mountain guide Nikos Lazanas, owner and founder of the outdoor adventure company ED+. We burst out laughing, and continue the ascent towards the Kofto trail, surrounded by wild boar tracks and the tall trees known locally as robola pines, as we artfully avoid analyzing why so many mountaineers constantly feel the need to set new goals. “If you walk quickly, we might make it to seven of the highest peaks,” Nikos teases. This is something he has already done – and others, too, I assume. I pick up the pace, but not to 1 3 6 — GREECE IS

make it to three or seven peaks today; we're planning to climb them tomorrow instead. No, I'm anxious to reach the Plateau of the Muses, from which we'll be able to see enchanting Stefani, the throne of Zeus. If we can reach it by sunset, we can watch the shadows grow longer, making the jagged rocks seem even sharper when seen from the mountain refuge where we'll stay. Here, the stars always seem brighter than anywhere in the world.

Mt Olympus is my own Everest, and it's my annual “tama” (pledge or promise to myself). I come here once a year to push myself psychologically and physically, as hard as I can. I always leave the mountain changed. (Some sources claim that "mountain" is the actual meaning of the name Olympus, hailing from a pre-Hellenic word. I love this idea, and the thought that, when you say “mountain,” you're actually referring to Mt Olympus.)

SKIRTING THE EDGE MT OLYMPUS IS MY OWN E VEREST. I COME HERE ONCE A YE AR TO PUSH MYSELF PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AS HARD AS I CAN. THE 2022 EDITION

It's the next morning and, after a good night's sleep in the Giosos Apostolidis mountain refuge and some strong coffee on the veranda there, we're on the trail early. “Did you make it at your first go?”, asks a young man who's just returning to the Apostolidis refuge after a failed attempt to climb the couloir at Mytikas. We reassure him he's not the only one. He relaxes a little and starts describing how sheer and dangerous the couloir seems. I know what he means. Mt Olympus

This page: Ascending the Gomarostalos rockface, with the help of the via ferrata. Opposite page, left to right: Crossing Natsis Pass; the ascent through the trees from Kofto; different routes to the summit present different grades of difficulty; the refuges offer a chance to rest and plan ahead.

ADVENTURE

is not child’s play, and climbing to the Mytikas and Stefani peaks involves difficult mountaineering techniques that are beyond the ability of many visitors. Nonetheless, it's estimated that 5000 people climb Mytikas, the highest peak in Greece (2919 meters), each year via the couloir, a steep “staircase” that requires climbers to use their hands as well as their feet, on weathered rock covered in scree and worn slippery and smooth by countless footsteps. Even when those in the lead are very careful, they're likely to precipitate rock falls, the cause of most accidents here. Helmets and hiking shoes are necessary, and the use of ropes and a mountain guide is also recommended. Still, every year the couloir is packed with young hikers not equipped with ropes or, even worse, with tourists without helmets and in flip flops, accompanied by tour guides from any one of a number of companies that don't even supply their customers with safety harnesses. Many visitors don't even know that night temperatures, even during the summer months, drop so low that winter jackets and isothermic clothes are needed. It's worth pointing out that there are significant differences between mountain guides, mountain chaperones and, of course, those who call themselves experts. As with all outdoor activities, it's a good idea to confirm who'll be with you and to check their credentials, too. That being said, most people climb Mytikas without the help of an expert – the greatest challenge is perhaps not physical but psychological, as you venture to dizzying heights.

ON THE WAY TO NAT SIS PASS We ascend via the Stefani Couloir, crossing the traverse leading from the plateau. We greet people heading to Mytikas across the way before we reach the pre-summit and climb the last, more technical section to the 1 3 8 — GREECE IS

I JUST GA ZE AT THE IMMENSIT Y STRE TCHING OUT BEFORE ME. THIS TRANSCENDENTAL E XPERIENCE MAKES US FALL SILENT.

peak at 2909 meters. It's not easy to describe what I'm feeling. For long stretches I'm walking on the edge of the cliff, overcoming a sense of vertigo. If you've never climbed a high mountain before, all I can say is that you really do feel as if you're dangling over the void. I film a video for my Instagram story, because what I'm seeing can't be conveyed by or condensed into a single photograph. The video records the panorama of peaks around me; the plateau with the two mountain refuges far below; mystical Kazania, a valley from where thick blankets of fog emerge; and the Mytikas peak opposite, surrounded by alpine-like landscapes. My voice sounds rather bewildered: “We're on Mt Olympus,” I mutter, “but the trademark sight of the Stefani is missing from the shot. Why? Because we're standing on its peak.” Stefani may be the most demanding peak on Mt Olympus, but it isn't the highest. The mountain trail towards that summit lies right before us. It's called Natsis Pass, “because old Kostas Natsis created it in the 1930s to connect the two peaks. He did it without the technology we have today, and completely alone,” Nikos tells me, as I gulp in awe. Natsis' endeavor was the first successful THE 2022 EDITION

Above: The imposing Stefani Peak, as seen from Giosos Apostolidis Refuge. Here: On Profitis Ilias Peak, with the chapel of the same name.

travel solo feat of this magnitude undertaken by a Greek, in Greece. All previous attempts had failed. For expert climbers, Natsis Pass is a low-difficulty climbing trail, but it nonetheless involves going up and down stone “steps,” squeezing in between rocks, clambering over boulders, traversing sections as you step on slivers of earth while literally hanging over the edge of the cliff, and some regular one-foot-in-frontof-the-other climbing as well. It's an awe-inspiring game in a chilly grey labyrinth that makes an enemy out of your own breath; with fog hurtling up the famed Kazania Valley via the Strivada Couloir, you feel so small, it's almost overwhelming. We search for the trail following the few safety grips along the way. “Think about how he would have gone, and you won't get into trouble in these challenging passages,” Nikos says, as he secures our line with reassuring frequency, using the crevices in the rock – a lesson I won't forget to emulate, and a confirmation of the soundness of my decision to come here with a professional mountain guide.

SILENCE, RESPECT, AWE And so, coming via the more challenging route and not from the couloir, we arrive at Mytikas, the highest peak in Greece. I do not celebrate. I do not take any pictures. I do not think of anything. I just gaze at the immensity stretching out before me. This transcendental experience makes us fall silent. The beauty of this very different perspective is beyond us. Thankfully, we're only sharing the peak with a single subdued couple, who are probably feeling the same way. At this moment, I simply could not stand anyone carrying on or cheering about their “conquest.” Dimitra, my rope companion, wordlessly extends the peak logbook so I can write my name in it. I couldn't care less. THESSALONIKI

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ADVENTURE

We descend via the route called Kakoskala, similar to the couloirs, heading west. As we exit onto the pass, we hike the easy trail to the third peak, Skolio (2912 meters). After the previous two peaks, Skolio seems sedate. And yet, if this were the only peak you climbed, and you found yourself gazing out at the endless alpine landscape with Agios Antonios Peak on one side and the jagged rocks of Mytikas and Stefani, the Kazania Valley, and the Kopsi Naoum route on the other, you'd be awe-struck by what you were seeing. The downside: since Skolio is easily accessible from the path leading from the Agapitos mountain refuge, many people come here, and some even think it's cool to cover the rocks in graffiti tags. Although the return to the plateau is long, with several difficult spots, including the famed Zonaria section, for those who suffer from fear of heights, I feel a sense of relief. After climbing three peaks, this seems like a piece of cake. I 'm also relieved this is a weekday. During the summer weekends, too much human traffic can create an atmosphere that seems to lack respect for this site, the first National Park in Greece and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that's on track to be given UNESCO World Heritage status, a step which might save it from many current threats. (The idea of issuing tickets to hikers, raised recently, is potentially another major development. A change that's already taken place is the erection of a new 4G tower in the area; it saddens me that some visitors are now more mesmerized by their phones than by the scenery.) Today, just before sunset, there aren't many people at the Giosos Apostolidis mountain refuge as we return. Three peaks in one day should really be enough for me, but we notice that everyone is getting ready to head out. It's the time of day when everyone makes for the two “small” 1 4 0 — GREECE IS

Dusk finds us on Touba, our fifth peak of the day.

nearby peaks of Profitis Ilias and Touba to enjoy the sunset (from the plateau itself, only the amazing sunrise is visible). Of course, these peaks only appear to be small; they are, in fact, 2803 and 2801 meters high respectively but, from the Giosos Apostolidis refuge, they seem like gentle hills. Which one boasts the best sunset? Which one is the shortest climb? The only way to find the answers is to attempt them both. And, since we're pressed for time, instead of hiking we engage in some... mountain running. On Profitis Ilias, an ancient

AS IT GROWS DARKER, WE WATCH THE MOON RISING. IT SEEMS TO BE ILLUMINATING ALL OF GREECE. THE 2022 EDITION

chapel’s mere presence is enough to move me. They say Saint Dionysios of Olympus built it in 1550; that's why he's considered Mt Olympus’ first explorer. (They also say couples who marry here are fated to separate!) We reach Touba's summit in 15 minutes, as long as it took us to dash up Profitis Ilias. It's dusk, and from here, we can see Stefani face-on in an alternative, yet equally magical, perspective. As it grows darker, we watch the moon rising next to us, above Kazania, the plateau, and all of Pieria. It seems to be illuminating all of Greece. We head back down to the refuge with moonlight to guide us. As I climb into my dorm bed, I ask “Was that it? What 's left to look forward to?” Nikos replies with a question of his own: “Do you see now why mountaineers keep setting new goals?” Without waiting for an answer, he zips up his sleeping bag and falls into a deep sleep. I lie there staring at the stars and the outline of Stefani, faintly illuminated by the moonlight. As my eyes close, I decide that the mountain will remain an annual goal, a tama, for me. Even if I never scale its peaks again, I will always find my way back to its slopes and plateaus.•

notebook • THE SEASON ON MT OLYMPUS begins in May-June, when the refuges open, and usually finishes when they close, in November, depending on the weather and snowfall. • AGAPITOS, PETROSTROUGA, Gomarostalos, Kopsi Naoum, Kofto: these are just a few of the dozen approaches to the mountain, each with a different difficulty level – the first two are the easiest. All of them begin in forested land, with thick vegetation and wildflowers. Depending on your stamina, it will take 5-7 hours to reach the plateau, where you will most likely spend the night. The next day is usually reserved for reaching the peak, multiple peaks or other climbing activities.

• NIKOS LAZANAS is a mountain guide, owner of ED+, member of the Hellenic Mountain Guides Association and trainer at the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering & Climbing. He will lead you safely to the plateau via whichever route you choose, and take you to your peak of choice or on any other adventure you'd like. (Tel. (+30)

694.521.1766, edplus.gr) • THE HIKING MAP published by Anavasi on a scale of 1:30,000 (including Mytikas on a scale of 1:10,000) is particularly helpful.

• IT'S WORTH VISITING the web site mountolympussummits. com, a project put together by photographer Babis Giritziotis, with impressive 360° views from the highest peaks.

• THE HISTORIC MOUNTAIN refuges Giosos Apostolidis

(Tel. (+30) 23510.828.40) and Christos Kakkalos

(Tel. (+30) 23521.000.09) operate on the Plateau of the Muses, and cost €13 per person per night (€11 for members of mountaineering clubs). The kitchen opens at 06:30 and shuts at 21:00. Lights out at 22:30. Even though it is quite big, the Apostolidis refuge is definitely the quieter of the two; the chances are fair you'll run into a mini-party at Kakkalos. • TO BREAK UP the hike into two days, you can stay at a lower elevation at Spilios Agapitos refuge

(Tel. (+30) 23520.818.00) or at Petrostrouga refuge

(Tel. (+30) 697.724.6350).

THESSALONIKI

• WE RECOMMEND the boutique hotel Robolo in Litohoro for stays before or after the ascent (Tel. (+30) 23523.067.15, from €80). The special care shown by owner Roula Malti, the calm and relaxing atmosphere in this 19th century structure and the attention to detail (Cocomat sleeping systems, hearty breakfasts, an exceptional wine list, and modern comforts) are perfect, either for powering up before the climb, or for winding down afterwards. For food, the Gastrodromio en Olympo (Tel. (+30) 23520-21300) has been a local favorite for years. Alternatively, there are many meze tavernas to choose from, either on the main thoroughfare or in the Lakkos neighborhood.

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EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY AT CANTEEN

Located only a few meters from the White Tower, Canteen is an ideal spot for all-day culinary options based on traditional Mediterranean cuisine, with coffee and energy snacks in the morning, light meals and pasta dishes or creamy risottos for lunch, and dinner in a vibrant atmosphere with premium steaks and creative dishes on the evening menu. For the perfect food and wine pairing for your meal, choose from an extensive list of wine options, with several selections also available by the glass. • 7 Dimitri Gounari, Tel. (+30) 2310.228.520 • Find them under Canteen on Facebook, or on Instagram @canteen_skg

HARALAS

TISSOT

Playful vibes, urban style, retro-inspired aesthetics, touches of modern refinement and styling that echo the pulse of the city are the key elements of Haralas’ Fall/Winter 2021-22 campaign. This high-end campaign fully captures the identity of the brand, celebrating urban street style and putting its own spin on the latest trends with the most stylish footwear and accessories. Discover brands such as DKNY, Dr. Martens, Nine West, UGG, Circus by Sam Edelman, ACBC, Carrano, Capodarte, Geox, Gant, and many more, available at Haralas stores in Greece and Cyprus, or online. • Esperidon Square & 72 Kiprou, Glifada, 166 74, Tel. (+30) 211.1088.135 • haralas.gr

What could be a more timeless token of an eternal bond than an elegantly designed and exquisitely crafted Swiss made watch? So this holiday season, give your loved ones the gift of time by choosing a Tissot watch. Thanks to the care and craftsmanship that went into its production, a Tissot will forever be a reminder of a heartfelt memory, and even more so of the bond between two people. With a history of 170 years in watchmaking, each of their watches is a seamless bridge between the traditions and rituals of the past, the present, and the future. • tissotwatches.com

SUPERIOR SEAFOOD BY THE SHORE

Honored with prestigious accolades, including the Greek Toque d’Or and Gourmet awards, the famed Marina Seafood Restaurant in Potidea is one of the best seafood restaurants in the country, promising every gourmet a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience. The menu features classics such as divinely prepared lobster or shrimp pasta, fish carpaccio and tartare, and perfectly grilled fish fresh from the Greek sea. To accompany these dishes, the impressive wine list has something for every taste, including some of the most renowned wines from Greek vineyards. • Marina, Potidea, Halkidiki, Tel. (+30) 23730.41570, (+30) 23730.41825 • Web: marina-fish.gr 1 4 2 — GREECE IS

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WHAT’S ON

AIGAI REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

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THE COOL FACTOR