The most beautiful religious buildings Thessaloniki

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.