Greece 2021

Tuesday2November

Arrived the day before in our Airbnb apartment, we can launch this day of visits dedicated to the different monuments of Thessaloniki, second city of the country in number of inhabitants. The first monument is the Church of the Holy Apostles from the 14th century. It has been inscribed since 1988 on the UNESCO World Heritage list, like many other early Christian and Byzantine monuments of the city.

"With the transition of the city under Ottoman rule, the church was transformed around 1525 into a mosque under the name of Soğuksu Camii, the Mosque of Cold Waters. Significant works were carried out, notably the covering of the mosaics and frescoes that can be seen today" © Wikipedia

During its transformation into a mosque, the original frescoes had been hammered so that the plaster covering the walls would adhere better. It was only from 1926 that the paintings could see the light of day again during restorations.

The Roman Agora, the former central place of large gatherings in the city.

We now move on to the Basilica of Hagios Demetrios. "It is a church dedicated to Saint Demetrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki. Built in a Byzantine style in the 7th century on the site of a first church dating from the 4th century, it has become one of the largest churches in Greece and one of the most important shrines of the Greek Orthodox Church.". © Wikipedia

The church is built on the site of a former Roman bath where Saint Demetrios was imprisoned and finally executed.
"Born between 2701 and 2812, Demetrios is, according to his biographers, from a Christian aristocratic family. After enlisting in the Roman army, Demetrios devoted himself to propagating Christianity in the Thessaloniki region and his aura reportedly aroused many conversions. In 303, Diocletian and Galerius set up the last great Christian persecution within the Roman Empire. Demetrios was reportedly denounced by Roman soldiers and delivered to the Galleys. With Nestor, his disciple, he reportedly died under the blows of Roman soldiers.<.i> © Wikipedia;;

The reliquary of Saint Dimitri.

Next to it is the shrine of the relics of Saint Anyssia, another martyr of Thessaloniki. She was born and lived in Thessaloniki during the reign of Maximian, at the same time as Saint Dimitri lived. In 1980, during works her tomb with her relics was discovered.

The Panagia Chalkeon church whose foundations date back to the 11th century. Like the others, it is inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list.

Egnatia Street.

The Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) considered the founder of modern Greece.

The Byzantine church of Acheiropoietos was built on an ancient Roman bath in the late 5th century.

The church experienced a Muslim period, it was converted into a mosque in 1430 by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Murad II.

The north arches and colonnades.

Detail of the fresco above the arches. We find the hammering that allowed the covering of the paintings by a layer of plaster.

Protected by glass panes, the restored ancient floor appears under our feet.

Paintings of the arches.

A "Riza", the bas-relief in openwork silver usually revealing images or painting of faces.

Detail of one of the capitals.

The basilica dates from the 7th century.

The central cupola.

Saint Dimitrios and Saint Nikolaos.

A small room where the relics of Saint Basil the Confessor rest.

"After the Ottoman conquest in 1430, the building was converted into a mosque and a minaret was placed there. Following the capture of the city by the Greeks in 1912, the monument was again transformed into a Christian Orthodox church." © Wikipedia

The Basilica of Panagia Gorgoepikoos, known as Panagouda, was built in 1818 to replace the church that had burned down a year earlier. Which did not prevent putting wood back in it, the interior is covered with paneling.

The church is dedicated to the birth of Panagia, the other name of Mary, here represented with a "Riza".

On the right, Saint Helena.

On the left, the cupola.

Lunch break with cheese balls and not a Greek salad, but Caesar, for once...  

The 4th century edifice is not open, we will therefore content ourselves only with its exteriors.

It was Emperor "Galerius" who commissioned the monument as an extension of his palace.

An arch passed over the road connecting the palace to the Rotunda.

The bas-reliefs of the arch.

Let's continue the walk to the sea located at the end of the large pedestrian street Gounari.

Here we are facing the Aegean Sea, and more precisely in the Thermaic Gulf. Nearly 4 continuous pedestrian kilometers line the seafront.

The White Tower founded in the 15th century, first to defend the city with its walls (disappeared in 1866), then gradually transformed into a prison.

Visit of the tower.

View of the city from the top of the white tower.

In the distance, we can distinguish the Heptapyrgion fort, which was also transformed into a prison. We will visit it tomorrow.

The port of Thessaloniki is one of the most important in northeastern Europe.

Alexander the Great on his horse Bucephalus. 1973 sculpture by artist Evángelos Moustákas.

Other style. Other artist. They are recurrent in the works of Georges Zongolopoulos: umbrellas, which since 1997 fly away via poles in the sky of Thessaloniki.  

The statue of Konstantinos Karamanlis (1907-1998), President of the Greek Republic twice (from 1980 to 1985, then from 1990 to 1995).

Ion Dragoumis (1878-1920), politician (deputy of Thessaloniki) and writer.

In the distance, we can even see the Mount Olympus range!

Back to the very modern Airbnb apartment!

Dinner at the Tandur restaurant not far from the apartment.

Wednesday3November

Second day in Thessaloniki where we will be able to continue our cultural visits, but this time in the heights of the city. Here we are at the tower of Andronikos Lapardas located at the beginning of the old fortification wall that protected the city.

Near the fortifications, we reach the Latomou monastery, dated from the 5th century.

The church is renowned for its Byzantine mosaics. Here, the one of the dome representing the Theophany.

We continue the walk, enjoying the viewpoints overlooking the city.

The OTE Tower, the old television tower dating from 1966.

We pass by the Vlatades monastery, from the 14th century.

Some graves leaning against the church.

The monastery hosts an aviary with various specimens including a peacock who tells me that to spread his tail, I can wait forever...  

The catholicon.

The interior is superb with very old frescoes rediscovered during the restoration of the church in 1983.

"The painted decoration is partially preserved in the nave as well as on the east wall of the west portico. The iconographic program includes a representation of Christ Pantokrator with angelic powers and prophets, on the dome. The intrados of the arches is covered with scenes from the Dodekaorton while the frescoes on the walls represent saints — essentially monks and hermits. The ambulatory has frescoes of military saints in the lower register, miracles of Christ in the upper register." © Wikipedia

Detail of the hammering of the walls to allow the plaster to set when the church was converted into a mosque.

The Archangels Gabriel and Michael.

We continue the itinerary along the fortifications of the old medieval city passing by the Trigonion tower.

We finally arrive at the end of the enclosing walls of Salonica (the other name of Thessaloniki) not far from the old Heptapyrgion fort.

The Heptapyrgion fort located 190 meters higher than the sea, dominates the whole city. We therefore understand its strategic position to protect the city since its construction in 1431. It was at the end of the 19th century that the fort, abandoned, was converted into a prison which remained active until 1989. Nowadays, the site can be visited and here we are in the corridor along the cells of the old prison.

The door of one of the jails.

Outside, thick fog covers the Thermaic Gulf. But on the mainland facing us 80 kilometers away on the other side of the sea, a majestic summit emerges from the top of its 2917 meters: Mount Olympus!

The inner courtyard of the fort.

The view of Thessaloniki from the ramparts of the fort.

The Church of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Mytilene.

The Thermaic Gulf and its boats between Thessaloniki and Mount Olympus...  

The Church of Saint Paul the Apostle.

Return to the Trigonion tower before leaving the city permanently to resume our itinerary around the country heading west.

Lunch in a taverna in the town of Chalkidona, 40 kilometers from Thessaloniki. 10 kilometers away, we will reach the ancient city of Pella, birthplace of Alexander the Great.