One of the symbols of Thessaloniki the Arch of Galerious, the Roman emperor that left his mark on the city.One of the meeting points of the city as it is in the centre,on Egnatia street.
I was so surprised going to Thessaloniki, I did not do much research prior to go as we were just arriving at the airport to head to Meteora for a weekend. On the way back we ended up with half a day to spend here and I could not believe how many churches and monuments and history there is in this city. I am definitely going yo go back and explore more of the city.
Fascinating history and art, unique and naturally UNESCO world heritageBut how sad they are not "discoursing" with their surroundings...Monuments sometimes are so different form modern structures and this is not necessarily bad thing; the opposite can be very enlightening and artistically inspiring! I'm talking about run down surrounding areas, full of graffiti and tagging (NO STREET ART!), dirty, not well signposted, no buffer-zones, no information stands, no connecting paths between the monuments..Sad! The city can do better! Right now they seem like the status as UNESCO heritage is enough but it isn't! Work on it guys! It is a disservice to the 1000s of years of the history of the city and the country and the world...It is your responsibility and the crisis is not an excuse... In fact the crisis is partly due to this neglect to the history, art, culture in the name of a cheap, short-lived financial prosperity... Sad!
Overall great places to visit, especially if you are not use in the orthodox religion, all seems so strange and you feel very attracted.Some are well conserved, other not.The worst surprise was the castle (Heptapyrgion) at the top of the hill: UNESCO protected treasure ... so protected that it was closed with a chain and a lock, and there were no indications about ANY opening hours!Such a shame and delusion!
The UNESCO monuments and churches in Thessaloniki are world-wide known for their beauty and for their preservation through the rough history of the city. You can see Byzantine churches almost everywhere in the city, even behind the apartment blocks and monuments situated on the pedestrian zones (like the Arch of Galerius). The city's geographical position makes possible for great views from those who climb to the Ano Poli district, where are the Byzantine Walls and two of the towers. The churches are all interesting, but Agios Demetrios and Rotonda of Saint George are the most important ones.
If is a special experience to visit a city that has been continuously inhabited for more than 2000 years, it is extraordinary to see so many houses of worship which have been continuously used for almost the same number of centuries. Even more impressively this use has been consistent with the other great feature of this city: its continuous enrichment with different peoples and cultures without quite losing its original character. So, for instance, one sees at least one building (Rotunda) used by three different religions over the centuries (pagan, Christian and Muslim). Other ones are literally history books in stone or brick, e.g. the insciption by Sultain Murad II on one of the columns of Acheiropoietos declaring his conquest of Thessaloniki, or the great restoration project of Saint Demetrius church bearing witness to the remarkable efforts of the various Thessaloniki community to recover after the major fire of 1915. Indeed I managed to fully appreciate all those monuments only on my second visit to the city, after I had read a few things about the history of the city and the role these buildings played.
I loved walking around Thessaloniki and seeing all of the gorgeous archaeological sites that have been preserved by integrating them into the city design. You can walk around them freely and take pictures, there's quite a number of them around. Great!
Some fine old churches and other monuments around the city are worth the walk. It´s hard to know the opening hours of the churches. As in other churches around Greece: places are open when they are open ;)
The arch is worth a stop by but don't plan on staying in the immediate area. It is very run down. I was disappointed to see a graffiti sign hanging on the fences surrounding the arch.
...Paleochristian (early Byzantine) and Byzantine Monuments are all gathered in Thessaloniki! It is most convenient that one can visit many of them in 2-3 days, and a great alternative if you are bored with the pre-Christian more ancient monuments of Greece. Many of these monuments are so important that they are part of the UNESCO international heritage list! Many of them are unique and impressive.