Thessalonika
Thessaloniki is Greece's second largest city, situated in the northeast, in Macedonia prefecture. During its heydays, in the Byzantine period, it was also the empire's second city (to Constantinople, in that case).
Thessaloniki derives its name from the first daughter of King Philip of Macedon. She married Kassandros, Alexander the Great's general who succeeded him on the throne. He gave her name to the city he founded around 316 B.C.
Visit November 2003
Thessaloniki is a typical large Greek city. This means four lane roads across the city center, creative parking and so on.
The city's most prominent landmarks are the White Tower (lovely posted near the sea) and the Ayia Sofia. This church has an imposing front, and quite distinguished interior. The main colours inside are a kind of dark green, black and bordeaux. Somewhat mystique, especially in combination with the scarce glimpses of sunlight that manage to get in.
There are also innumerable small Byzantine churches scattered around the city. Quite often they are hidden behind apartment blocks, or blocked from the view by parked cars. If you've got some stamina and good walking shoes you can visit several of them, and also enjoy their frescoes.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
Chariloas Lithoxopoulos (Australia / Greece):
Just back from a visit of Thessaloniki, the City of my Heart.
A city many times encircled by its enemies, now encirled by Suburbia and motorways and "Cathedrals of Consumerism".
Poverty, disease and darkness is terrible, but a city encircled by the Cathedrals of Trash is scarry as well.
I walked around the Castle Hill of Thessaloniki touching the scultured stones of different eras, build into the Castle walls.
Were the sculpters Greek, "Romans", Armenians, Persians, Hebrews, "Franks" or "Ottomans"?
Even if one is a slave the satisfaction of creating a thing of beauty is immence for humanity, and, nothing can take the joy of beauty & creation away from anyone.
In the solitude of early morning warm light, while the city was still half asleep, I paid homage to those who lived and hungered for beauty.
In the touch of every stone, in the summers warm morning light, one could allmost feel the warmth of the artists hand, the creators of beauty.
I was back in Greece to light candles on the graves of my past loved ones.
I thought it was only fitting that I should also light a large candle, in a recess of the wall, to all the creators of beauty whose names are lost, but whose joy remains. |
| Date posted: August 2010 |
Charilaos Lithoxopoulos (Australia / Greece):
The very small Church of "Osios David" adjacent to the hill top Castle walls of Thessaloniki, has a charm and human scale above many of the other churches.
In a concrete city the softness of its stones and trees are very welcoming.
Thessalonikis very easy access to the sea meant that many conquerors or rulers demolished buildings of earlier times and send them as far as Sicily and even Syria.
Osios David has Columns and stones that are obviously broken left over items from the lucrative export industry.
Thessaloniki and its hinterlands easy sea access has left very few items from above ground buildings.
If you walk along the walls of the hill top castle, you can see broken carved columns and carved stones build in to the walls. The pity is that even in the last ten years, some items have been dug out and sold. I believe one column top remains visible on the south east of the wall, that is a replica of the few columns remaining at Pella, Alexanders City, 40Km away.
If you have an interest in human History & Geography, and its winter with no glare, get a good Russian detail map, Greeks do not print maps?, its possible to see 10,000 years of human history carved out in the surrounding landscape of Thessalonikis hinterland. |
| Date posted: March 2010 |
Charilaos Lithoxopoulos (Australia / Greece):
Thessalonikis treasures are far greater than the obvious churches and a few public buildings. Think small scale and less than 1000 years old, and surprisingly enough quiet a few gems remain. Some buildings "modernised" in the 1960's & 1970's waiting to be restored. Even in 1962 a mad priest and a peasant mayor modernising the facade of one of the historic Church facades, endeavouring to make it look like a cheap cafe.
Some of the 200 year buildings are being left to decay, would be treated as national treasures in other countries. The reality is that anything that is less than a 1000 years old is being removed or allowed to disappear.
Greeks like the Turks are cannot tolerate any historical item that may suggest a multicultural recent past.
People with little education cannot comprehend that we have more that binds us together, than separates us. |
| Date posted: October 2009 |
Assif Am-David (Israel):
I came to Thessalonika for work and only had a short time to stroll around. This city certainly has more to offer than is usually known. Most tourists who get this far north in Greece aim the sandy beaches of nearby Chalkidiki. In Thessalonika it's usually the promenade along the coast with the Ottoman White Tower that tourists visit. The Byzantine churches, among the oldest and best presereved in the world, are hardly known. What a shame! Some of these churches are centrally located and found in an area stretching from the shore to the fortified Ottoman old town on the hill. You can visit them on foot. Don't miss the archaeological museum too. |
| Date posted: November 2008 |
William Vallone (Italy):
I have visited Thessaloniki one week ago (August 2008), and I have been deeply impressed by the town. The walk along the waterfront is wonderful and you really can feel the greatness of the town`s position with its historical gulf. Looking at Alexander o Megas statue near the sea gives you a tip about the importance of this metropolis, WH objects are easy to find as streets in Th. are so regular. I particularly appreciated the church of Saint Demetrius, simply amazing...Walk and walk, since the town is really big. Via EGNATIA, the ancient street which linked Brindisi (and Rome)in Italy to Costantinopoli is alive and kicking there, full of traffic. I would not go to Th. in August since it gets very hot in the afternoon.
IMPORTANT> do not forget to walk up the the amazing, fantastic byzantine walls that still sorround the town. YOu can have a fantastic view of Thessaloniki and the gulf from there, at sunset for example, and have good meals in scattered taberna all around. I LOVE THESSALONIKI! |
| Date posted: August 2008 |
IOM (Ireland):
Bring a good pair of shoes and city map! Its not a bad city and has plenty to offer. Most of the sites are difficult to find and even more difficult to enter. But its still nice to go hunting for them. |
| Date posted: August 2008 |
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This charming seaside city is along the curve of a scenic bay. Other than its location, its history stretches back to Bible times and beyond and for this reason and more is a place well worth visiting |
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Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Thessaloniki was a pleasant surprise for me. I hadnīt thought much about it before, but itīs really a very clean and modern metropolis with a nice view of the sea (especially from the top of the White Tower) and a much milder (and less smoggy) climate than Athens. Its WH monuments are scattered throughout the city, but are easy to find and represent a good cross-section of the cityīs history from ancient Greek and Roman to Byzantine and Turkish times. The Byzantine churches especially are very interesting, but also the remains of the Roman Palace and the Triumphal Arch merit a closer look. I wouldnīt go to the city just for its WH value, but there are many other reasons to go there, and seeing its historical buildings is definitely a good way to become acquainted with Thessaloniki. |
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