Thessaloniki Brief Tourist Guide
Η Θεσσαλονίκη Brief tourist guide of Thessaloniki Editor: Antonis Malliaris Proof reading: Paraskevi Papadopoulou Lay out: Kyriakos Megalopoulos Printing: Thessprint Photographic resources: –P hotographers: Kyriakos Megalopoulos Giorgos Gianouloudis, Nickos Kalogirou – Antonis Malliaris' archive of aerial photographs – Archaeological museum of Thessaloniki –M useum of Byzantine culture ISBN 978-960-457-859-7 2nd edition 2017 © 2017 MALLIARIS-PAEDIA editions
Ιστορία
Wholesales: 51, ΜARTIOU 25 STR, 564 29 Ν. Efkarpia, Thessaloniki, tel. (+30) 2310649251 Bookstores: 39 D. Gounari str, 546 22 Thessaloniki, tel. (+30) 2310277113 53 Ermou str, 546 23 Thessaloniki, tel. (+30) 2310252888 e-mail: info@malliaris.gr www.malliaris.gr Reproduction or copying of this work in whole or part in any way, and the translation or adaptation, or exploitation in any way reproducing speech or art project, in accordance with the provisions of law 2121/1993 and 100/1975 is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Literature - Memories of old Thessaloniki - Α. Vakalopoulos, ed. Malliaris-Paideia - Στην παλιά Θεσσαλονίκη (Old Thessaloniki) - L. Tsaktsiras, ed. Malliaris-Paideia - Θεσσαλονίκη: Νέος Τουριστικός οδηγός (Thessaloniki tourist guide & street map) - Αr. Kessopoulos- Ar. Kostopoulos, ed. Malliaris-Paideia - Θεσσαλονίκη ...εν θερμώ - Ο συγκλονιστικός 20ός αιώνας της πόλης (3 τόμοι) (Απ. Παπαγιαννόπουλου), εκδ. ΜαλλιάρηςΠαιδεία. - Εγκυκλοπαίδεια «ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ», ed. Malliaris-Paideia - Θεσσαλονίκη, η πόλη και τα μνημεία της (Thessaloniki, the city and its monuments) - L. Tsaktsiras, Κ. Papanthimou, G. Mantzios, Ν. Kalogirou), ed. Malliaris-Paideia - Website of Thessaloniki's Archaeological museum www.amth.gr - Website of Thessaloniki's Museum of Byzantine culture www.mbp.gr
Contents INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Milestones in the history of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
MONUMENTS AND SIGHTS OF THESSALONIKI What you can see depending on the time available . . . . . . . . . . . . Ancient buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Muslim buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neoclassical Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Historical shopping centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Agios Minas district . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chrimatistiriou Square - Frangomahalas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vlali markets (Kapani) – Vatikioti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ladadika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Τhe port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bit Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louloudadika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 17 22 31 34
40 40 40 42 42 43 43 43
Museums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Museum of Byzantine Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 White Tower Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Thessaloniki History Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 St Demetrius Crypt Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Museum of Macedonian Struggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 State Museum of Contemporary Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Cinema Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Museum of Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Mount Athos Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Olympic Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Science Centre Museum NOESIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Pharmaceutical Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 War Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Balkan Wars Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Zeitenlik Cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Water Supply Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Museum of Ancient, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Musical Instrumentsm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Ataturk Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Children’s Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Radio Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Railway Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Cast Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Geology – Paleontology Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 A stroll along the Waterfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 GENERAL INFO Galeries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Libraries and Cultural Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Cultural Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Markets - Food - Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Parking Lots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Suggested daily excursions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Ski resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Thermal Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Sports Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Useful telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Consulate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Churches (and places of worship of other denominations) . . . . . 84
Ιστορία Η Θεσσαλονίκη
Thessaloniki is the second most populous city of Greece, after Athens. It is the capital of Macedonia and of the whole Northern Greece. It boasts a large commercial port and its location is of strategic and com-
intact. The new town spreads out to the north, west and south of the old town, mostly with tall, modern apartment buildings. History: Thessaloniki is an ancient city, and it has played an important role in the course of the Greek history. It was founded in 315 B.C. by Cassander, king of Macedonia, and
History
Introduction to the city
The small Arch of Galerius, found in the east arcade of the peristyle of the Galerius palace complex. The bust of Galerius and the personified “Fortune� of Thessaloniki, bearing the diadem of the walls are depicted in two round medallions.
mercial importance. It also has an international airport and a railway station. The city can be divided into the old and the new one. The old town is the centre of Thessaloniki from Eptapyrgio down to the sea. Its upper section, known as the Ano Poli, is built amphitheatrically and consists of beautiful old houses in a traditional style and many Byzantine churches connected by a maze of narrow winding lanes, while behind all this the northern Byzantine walls rise almost
named after his wife Thessaloniki, half-sister of Alexander the Great. Throughout the Byzantine period it was the second greatest city of the empire, after Constantinople, and a citadel of Christianity and the Greek spirit. Thessaloniki’s patron saint, St. Demetrios, who suffered martyrdom here, has protected the city throughout its long history, and is honoured in a magnificent church. In 1917 a big fire destroyed the centre of the city, which was then rebuilt following a modern city plan.
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Η Θεσσαλονίκη History Ιστορία 8 8
Tourism, economy and folklore: Thessaloniki is the most important commercial, political and cultural centre of Northern Greece, attracting thousands of visitors to its Byzantine monuments, its trade fair and its pleasant suburbs, as well as tourists holidaying in Chalkidiki nearby. The greatest number of visitors arrive in the summer, and particulary in the first half of September, during the International Trade Fair. The Greek Song and Film Festival, as well as many special exhibitions, are organised every year as part of the HELEXPO fair. October is also full of cultural events as part of the «Demetria» festival held in honour of the city’s patron saint, St. Demetrius, whose feast day is celebrated with Byzantine dignity on 26th October. The same day a great parade takes place to celebrate the liberation of the city from the Turks in 1912. «Demetria» is sponsored by the Municipality of Thessaloniki and includes artistic events put on by Greek and foreign artists, speeches and various exhibitions. In the area around Thessaloniki there are also interesting traditional festivals. On 21st May, the feast day of Saints Constantine and Helena, the famous «Anastenaria», or firewalking, takes place in the town of Lan-
gada. In Sohos there is a traditional pre-Lenten Carnival, while at Mihaniona on 22nd August there is a great festival and pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary. Finally, there are many places of interest in the prefectures around Thessaloniki. To the southeast is Chalkidiki, with its beautiful beaches, camping sites, organised beaches, the famous cave of Petralona, and the hotel complex-
Mosaic where Saint Demetrius is depicted with two children, possible dedication of the parents. The Saint, with a juvenile and very expressive face and a luxurious outfit, raises his right hand in a position of supplication, while he rests his left hand on the shoulder of the oldest child (a sign of affinity and protection).
The surrender of Thessaloniki by the Turks to the Greek army in October 1912 (folk lithography). In the foreground Turkish officers surrender the keys of the city, a sword and a sealed letter to Konstantinos, Commander-in-chief of the Greek army and successor to the throne. The scene takes place in the Greek general headquarters in the current village of Gefyra. In the background the Thermaic gulf and Thessaloniki of those days are depicted in high precission.
Η Θεσσαλονίκη History
Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, and also the ski centre at Seli near Veria. In the prefecture of Pieria, which combines mountain and sea, we find marvellous beaches, camping sites, hotels, the castle of Platamonas, and the ancient site of Dion. Mountaineers and climbers can enjoy the magical slopes of Mt. Olympus, home of the twelve Olympian gods of the Greek mythology. Lastly, to the northeast, one can visit the «spa» at Loutra of Nea Apollonias, the beaches of Stavros, Asprovalta or Olympiada, swim in the waters of the Strymonic Gulf, or go on to Kavala and Thassos.
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es of Porto Carras in Sithonia, and Sani, Pallini and Athos, in Cassandra. Further east, one can visit the peninsula of Mount Athos, citadel of Orthodoxy, the Holy Mountain, where one (only men are admitted) can marvel at the thousand-year old monasteries with Christian relics set amidst a landscape of virginal purity. One can also visit the ancient sites of Olynthus and Stagira, where Aristotle was born. To the west of Thessaloniki, in the prefecture of Pella, one can visit the waterfall at Edessa and the palace of Alexander the Great at Pella. In the prefecture of Imathia there is the ancient site of Vergina, with the royal tomb of
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Η Θεσσαλονίκη History
Milestones in the history of the city 315 (or 316) BC.: Thessaloniki is found by the ruler and King Cassander. He later becomes the King of Ancient Macedonia. 148 BC.: Thessaloniki becomes the capital of the Roman “District of Macedonia” 50 AD: St Paul arrives.
1204: Thessaloniki becomes capital of the Frankish “Kingdom of Thessaloniki” 1224: Thessaloniki becomes the capital of the Greek “Empire of Thessaloniki” founded by Theodore Komnenos Doukas. 14th century: The "Golden Age" of Thessaloniki as far as literature and art are concerned.
303 or 304: St Demetrius’ martyrdom.
1342-1349: The Zealotry Period.
390: Citizens of Thessaloniki riot and are slaughtered in the city racetrack.
1387-1403: The first Ottoman occupation period.
904: The Fall of Thessaloniki
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1185: The fall of Thessaloniki to Normans.
Late 3rd - early 4th century AD: The "Complex of Roman Emperor Galerius" is built
6th and 7th century: Invasions by Avaro-Slaves, countered by the city’s defenders.
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to Saracen pirates.
1423-1430: The Venetian occupation period. 1430, March 29: The fall of Thessaloniki to the Turks of Sultan Murad II.
1821: Manslaughters and persecutions of Greeks in Thessaloniki by the Turks when the great Greek Revolution begins. 2nd half of the 19th century: "Modernization" of Thessaloniki. 1890: A big fire destroys the centre of Thessaloniki. 1908: Thessaloniki becomes one of the Young Turks movement centres. 1912, October 26: Liberation of the city by the Greek army. The Ottoman occupation period that lasted 482 years comes to an end. 1915, October 5: During the World War I English and French troops disembark at Thessaloniki. The city becomes the heart
of the “Macedonian front”. 1916, August 17: The “National Defence” movement arises and prevails in Thessaloniki. 1916, September 26: El. Venizelos arrives to Thessaloniki and forms a Temporary Government.
History
Late 15th - early 16th c.: Jews from Spain arrive and settle in Thessaloniki.
1917, August 5: A big fire destroys the centre of Thessaloniki. 1923: With the exchange of populations, 90,000 Greek refugees arrive from Asia Minor to Thessaloniki. The Turk habitants leave the city. 1926: The university of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki International Fair start functioning. 1936: Bloody conflicts between protesters and the police in Thessaloniki (May 1936).
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Η Θεσσαλονίκη History
1941, April 9: Thessaloniki is taken over by the German army.
2006: Inauguration of the Ecclesiastical Museum of Thessaloniki
1943, March: Thousands of Jews living in Thessaloniki are sent to Nazi concentration camps, where their lives come to a tragic end.
2006: Thessaloniki metro construction contract is signed and soon after that construction works begin.
1944, October 29: German occupation troops leave Thessaloniki and the city is liberated. 1952: Erection of University buildings begins. 1962: Greek music festival deigns. 1962: Inauguration of the New Archaeological Museum in HANTH (YMCA) square. 1963, May 22: Grigoris Lambrakis is murdered. 1966: The Greek Film Festival begins. 1978, June 20: A strong 6.5 Richter earthquake shocks the city causing many damages and victims. 1982, October 27: Inauguration of the Museum of Macedonian Struggle.
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1994, September 11: Inauguration of the Museum of Byzantine Culture.
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1997: Thessaloniki’s year as a European cultural capital. 2004: Thessaloniki’s year as an Olympic City.
2009: The new city coast restructuring is completed. 2009: Inauguration of the new city hall. 2012: Thessaloniki celebrates its 100 years liberation anniversary.
Monuments and sights of Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Τα μνημεία
What you can see depending on the time available For a visitor who has only a few hours or days to get a flavour of the city, we suggest the following programmes:
• If you have half an hour for a little sightseeing, we suggest you take a walk along the old seafront and visit the White Tower and its gardens or the parks along the new seafront. If you are interested in historical monuments, then a visit to a few of the many Byzantine churches is a must to admire Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture and the wonderful mosaics (the Church of Agia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), the Church of Panagia Halkeon, Agios Demetrius. Also worth
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visiting are Kamara, Rotonda and the remains of the Palace of Galerius, all from the Roman era and all close to each other in the centre of the town. You might also take a walk leading past the two museums (Archaeological and Byzantine), the International Fair and up into the park of the University campus. Another suggestion (especially if you feel exhausted) is to take a boat trip along the seafront of the city from the old wharf (the ticket is not expensive).
• If you only have a day, apart from the above you can visit the Upper or Old Town, with its picturesque old lanes and the folk architecture of its houses.
• If you have 2-3 days at your disposal, it is worth organising a couple of more visits to the sights of the surrounding area. You can enjoy some of Thessaloniki’s seaside suburbs and try some fresh fish, charcoal-grilled meat or mezedes in Aretsou (Nea Krini), or slightly further afield in Peraia, Nei Epivates, Agia Triada, Michaniona or Epanomi, etc., which lie along the coast to the south-east from 10 to about 30 kilometres away. The road runs past the airport with many night clubs for your night-time entertainment. Other suburbs worth a visit are those in the hills: Panorama offers a magnificent view over the gulf and boasts many openair coffee shops and patisseries (“Panorama Triangles” are a well-known treat); Thermi has many good tavernas; Oraiokastro lies high on a northwestern hill with its woods; Melissohori, Hortiatis, Asvestohori, Exohi, Pefka, etc.
Thessaloniki Τα μνημεία
Above them stands the Byzantine walls and fortification of the city, which culminate in the Heptapyrgio (“Seven Towers”) Castle, from which the view is magnificent. Following the “Pasha’s Gardens” (above the hospital of Saint Demetrius) is the Forest of the Thousand Trees (Seich Souh or Kedrinos Lofos - Cedar Hill) with its wonderful view over the city and its Zoological Gardens. In the evening, a visit to the celebrated “Ladadika” is definitely worthwhile. Lying next to the port, this picturesque quarter of the old city has recently been restored and is now the host of small “tavernas”, bars, etc. Here you can find fresh fish, Greek fish and chips with garlic sauce, ouzo or tsipouro and accompanying hors d’oeuvres (“mezedes”), etc.
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The sights Ground plan of the Galerius Palace in Navarinou Street: 1= the atrium, 2: the vaulted building, 3: the basilica, 4: the Nymphaio, 5: the Octagon. 16
Galerius’ Palace
At the end of the 3rd century and in the beginning of the 4th (297-307) the Roman Empire was governed by the so-called Tetrarch, i.e., four co-emperors. One of them, Galerius Valerius Maximianus, chose Thessaloniki as his seat. In previous periods and particularly at the time of the civil wars (49-31 BC), other famous Romans, Julius Caesar and Pompey, Brutus, the Emperors Anthony and Octavius, the exiled government of the democrats and part of the Roman Senate had also stayed in the city. During that period (42BC), after the battle of the Philippi, a triumphal arch was built at the Golden Gate in honour of the victors Anthony and Octavius and Thessaloniki had been declared a “free city” with many privileges, including self-government. In 58 BC, the great rhetor Cicero had also stayed in the city. Thessaloniki was the largest city in the eastern part of the Empire. Galerius’ aspiration was to adorn it, in true Roman fashion, with buildings of grandeur. So along the eastern walls of the city, he created a large palace complex (on the site of older buildings) with huge
buildings, the palace, the octagon, the Rotunda, a large Hippodrome, arcades, triumphal arches, and many more. A large part of the palace complex, including massive walls, a large internal courtyard, peristyle, corridors and rooms with beautiful mosaic floors, fountains and springs, has been excavated in today’s Navarinou Square and Demetriou Gounari Street. In the southwest corner of the main building of the palace complex, archaeologists discovered the Octagon, a large octagonal structure almost 30 m. in internal diameter which was probably a temple or the throne room. The paving of the floor is wonderful. Here, on a large marble archway, now safeguarded in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the relief busts of two major figures for the city were found, the embodiment of Thessaloniki and Galerius himself. East of the palace, in presentday Hippodrome Square and under the blocks of flats built beside it, lays the Hippodrome. Its length was 400 m. Many of the stones from its marble stands were later used in various repairs to the eastern walls, close to present-day Dimokratias Square. The buildings of the palace, with the Kamara and Rotunda
The sights
Ancient buildings
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The sights
close by, are reminiscent of the end of the ancient pagan period and the dawn of the new Byzantine Christian era, during which Thessaloniki once more played a prominent role. Almost twenty years after Galerius, the Emperor Constantine made his triumphant entrance into the city. Before he left, he had built a strong and well fortressed harbour.
The Arch of Galerius (Kamara)
The Arch of Galerius, better known as the Kamara, lies on the eastern side of the old city of Thessaloniki, at the junction of the streets Egnatia and Demetriou Gounari. The arch standing was part of an impressive structure built at the end of the 3rd century or early 4th as a triumphal arch in honour of the Emperor Galerius and his victories over the Persians in Asia Minor and Syria (297 AD). The quadruple arch comprised part of the large building complex which included the palace (Navarinou Sq.), the Hippodrome (Hippodromi-
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ou Sq.) and the Rotunda. Four central columns joined by arches supported a dome. A four-gated structure was formed with two gates on Egnatia Street and the other two on the road that ran from the palace up to Rotunda. On the Rotunda side there was an impressive street lined with colonnades. On the side of the palace on present-day Egnatia Street there was a magnificent hall. Only two of the mighty columns of this impressive structure, remain today, the reliefs on which serve to immortalise Galerius’ victories against the Persians and the triumphal celebrations. Scenes of war, mounted battles and victories, triumphs, ceremonies and sacrifices are pictured on the carved relief of the columns in four bands, separated by relief flowers, branches, etc. The triumphant Galerius enters the city and offers a sacrifice. Together with him are depicted the other three leaders of the Roman Tetrarch, Diokletianus, Maximinus and Constantius. True to Roman tradition, various gods, Oikoumene and Omonoia, together with numerous other forms, can be seen in the relief compositions. The cornice above the fourth band of sculptures is also rich in its relief decoration.
The Rotunda is an ancient, impressive roman monument from the early 4th century. It was probably built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Galerius, who had his seat at Thessaloniki around 300 AD. It formed part of the impressive complex of buildings which included the palace (in present-day Navarinou Sq.), the Hippodrome (approximately where Hippodrome Square is today), the triumphal Arch of Galerius (the Kamara) on Egnatia Street and other buildings. In the same century, the Emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395), who was baptised a Christian in Thessaloniki, converted the pagan mausoleum into a Christian church. A number of changes were effected at this time: the sanctum and perimetric aisle were added, the western rather than southern gate opened to become the principal entrance, etc. The church was dedicated to Christ or the Archangels (the Incorporeal) and during the 10th-12th centuries was the metropolitan cathedral of Thessaloniki. In 1591 the Turks turned it in-
The sights
The Rotunda
to a mosque and built the minaret in front of it. After the liberation (1912), the building was re-sanctified as the Church of Saint George (Agios Georgios). In its original form, the Rotunda was a cylindrical building with an internal diameter of 24.5 m. and a height of 30 m. The walls are 6.3 m. thick and inside have eight apses (recesses). Multicoloured marble uprights decorated the interior of the building. The Christians decorated them with wonderful mosaics (end 4th century), creating the wall mosaics with an unbelievable variety of colours, comprising some of the best in the world. The figure of Christ, triumphal with a golden halo, was depicted in the centre of the cupola in a shining sphere, in the colours of the rainbow. Only minimal remains are to be seen of this fantastic composition. Below bands of angels, martyrs and the saints of those early Christian times are depicted. The rest of the wall is covered with other beautiful compositions. The Macedonian artists and craftsmen continued their tradition here, expressing their new faith through their art. One fresco in the apse of the Sanctum, half destroyed by the Turks, depicts the Ascension of
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