The city hosts some of the most significant Byzantine churches in the country, which are ruled by a specific protection regime, since they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
You can worship the relics of the city’s patron St. Demetrius and go through the magnificent church to climb down the steps leading to the crypt where he was martyred.
-
Byzantine Thessaloniki
-
Byzantine Thessaloniki
Light a candle at the early Christian churches of Hagia Sophia [God’s wisdom] and Acheiropoiitos [not made by human hands], enjoy the elaborate 11th century murals at Vlatades Monastery and the ‘red church’ of Panagia Chalkeon [Madonna of the Coppersmiths]. Visit the monument to St. Cyril and St. Methodius and learn about the life and work of these Thessalonian saints who spread Christianity and laid the foundations for the present-day Cyrillic alphabet.
To complete the knowledge you acquired about the Byzantine Empire and its century-long ties with Thessaloniki, spend some time at the Museum of Byzantine Civilisation and see some of the hundreds of items on display, including objects, murals, mosaics, valuable utensils, and golden jewellery from that era.
