Things to see and do Thessaloniki

The ramparts visible on the heights of the city were built in medieval times. One notices however in the walls some pieces brought back from older monuments or earlier fortifications that can, without certainty, be traced back to the time of the first ramparts of Cassandra. The walls are the work of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I and the Persian Hormisdas, as indicated by a 9 m long inscription on the upper part of the Hormisdas tower (only part of it has survived).

This fortification was built against the Roman wall, so that they reinforced each other. At the same time, many towers (60 are visible today, including the White Tower) were erected at regular intervals to reinforce the ramparts and protect the very vulnerable lower town. The perimeter of the fortifications reached up to 7 km, of which only 3 km are preserved today. The height of the walls varies from 8.30 m to 10.50 m. Built largely of stone and mortar, they regularly give way to strips of brick which increase the solidity of the building.

The most imposing part of the old fortifications is certainly the White Tower. Overlooking the port of Thessaloniki, it has become its emblem. The tower was probably built by the Turks on the ruins of an older tower, unless it was the work of the Venetians who occupied the city before the Turks.

The complex includes many monuments such as the palace, the arch of Galerius, the rotunda, the octagon and the hippodrome. All these buildings were built on the orders of the emperor Galerius.

The first of the monuments of the complex is the Arch of Galerius. Located between the palace and the rotunda, it marked the intersection of two perpendicular streets, including the current Karamanlis, each lined with flamboyant porticoes. It was built to commemorate the victory of Galerius against the Persians, shortly before 305. The sculpted reliefs show the emperor in all his majesty defeating some submissive Barbarians kneeling at his feet. It is interesting to note that the reliefs do not have the beauty of the works of the Hellenistic period, the characters are lifeless, squeezed together, and the proportions are not always respected, which announces the austere stylization of the Middle Ages.

Between Tsimiski and Prinkipos Nikolaou streets, at the level of the Triumphal Arch, the ruins of Galerius' palace. When one knows that only the south-eastern part of the palace is preserved, one can better imagine the proportions which were those of the building. The parts visible today are organized around a vast square courtyard surrounded by four corridors and decorated with mosaics. To the south opens the large door that led directly to the port of the city. But the most impressive part of these ruins is undoubtedly the octagon. This room, remarkable by its architecture was to be used as throne room to the emperor.

The rotunda Saint-Georges is the last monument of the complex of Galerius. Research has proven that it was part of the great palatial complex since it was connected to the Arch of Galerius, itself connected to the palace by gigantic porticoes. Some think that it was a temple dedicated to Jupiter, others that Galerius had wanted to make a mausoleum of it (which was never used) or that the rotunda was used during the organization of demonstrations in the palace. The interior walls of its lower part were covered with marble while the high part was decorated with splendid mosaics. Around 400, the rotunda was converted into a Christian church and thus underwent some architectural changes - some of which would have precipitated its collapse during an earthquake. At the time of the Turkish domination, it was transformed into a mosque. Its impressive mosaic decoration dates from the Christian era.

The history of this church is still unknown today. It is thought to have been built in the 14th century, attached to the Vlattades monastery in the 17th century and was never occupied by the Turks, unlike the other churches in the city. Saint Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos) was also the protector of orphaned children. According to local tradition, the existence of an orphanage inside the monastery was the origin of this name.

Inside, we can see the capitals of the columns which have kept their colours as well as the balustrade surrounding the choir, which remained intact. The frescoes in this small church are particularly impressive. Having never been transformed into a mosque, a large part of its painted decorations have remained unchanged.

The paintings are organized into registers. The lower register represents a large number of saints and the upper registers show many scenes symbolizing the twelve great feasts and miracles. The characters in the various paintings mix with each other despite the red edges that frame the festive scenes. The colours are bright and splendid, the contours of the faces are very soft.

The walls are filled with magnificent 14th century murals of unique style and quality. The colours are exceptional and it is a remarkable collection of frescoes that could be considered a masterpiece of religious art.

According to legend, the basilica was built on the very site of the martyrdom of Saint Dimitri, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, whose feast day is October 26. It was destroyed twice, following fires, and rebuilt before being transformed into a mosque under Turkish rule.

You can go down into the crypt, to the right of the choir. First we enter a small chapel that housed the saint's remains, just after his death. Openings have been made in the walls to allow the faithful to contemplate his body. Continuing along its path, we arrive at the ciborium with 7 columns. It was used to receive the holy oils that were poured on the saint's tomb and which flowed into the circular basin in front of it. You still have to admire the capitals of the columns that support the ensemble and especially the beautiful examples of capitals with acanthus leaves "turned over by a gust of wind". There are also beautiful mosaics, such as the one representing Saint Dimitri with a clergyman on the right of the choir, just outside the crypt. Similarly, you can admire the mosaic representing Saint Demetra surrounded by two children, to the left of the choir. On the right and in parallel, the representation of Saint Dimitri with Saint Serge. Just next door, Saint Dimitri is represented between the two founders of the church: an ecclesiastic and a layman. Finally, admire the mosaic of the Virgin Mary with a saint, opposite the previous one on the other side of the choir.

Dating from 1028, this church was restored in 1934. Note the inscription above the western entrance: "This place, hitherto profane, is dedicated especially to the worship of the Mother of God by Christophoros (...) in the year 6537." 6537 corresponds to a calendar starting from the supposed creation of the world and actually reveals the year 1028 of the Christian era. A protospathos is a high dignitary. Christophoros dedicated the church to the Virgin in remission of his sins.

This museum traces the daily life and culture of the inhabitants of northern Greece. It is particularly interested in production activities (agriculture, livestock, etc.) and techniques used in crafts (weaving, sewing, embroidery, woodworking, metalworking, ceramics, etc.). Important collection of traditional costumes, embroidery, weaving, Macedonian jewellery, weapons, tools, objects, furniture, ceramics, wood and metal sculptures.