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    Tourist Attractions in Thessaloniki

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Thessaloniki. Photos and a brief description.

    Thessaloniki
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    About Thessaloniki

    Thessaloniki was founded in the III century BC. Since then, the city has repeatedly become the scene of significant historical events. Moreover, Thessaloniki remains an important center of Christianity – the Apostle Paul preached here and the enlighteners Cyril and Methodius were born. The architectural heritage of the city is priceless, despite the fact that the historical quarters were destroyed during the fire of 1917. The vast majority of the city’s churches and monasteries of the Byzantine period are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Thessaloniki is a popular resort of the Aegean Sea and the cultural capital of Greece. Local beaches are marked with the “blue flag” for cleanliness, comfort and convenience for tourists. Throughout the year, the city hosts many colorful festivals and interesting events. Architectural monuments of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras are located right in the middle of residential neighborhoods.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Thessaloniki

    The White Tower

    Presumably, the structure was erected in the X century, as evidenced by the preserved inscription on one of the walls. For centuries, the tower was part of the fortress fence that separated residential quarters from the cemetery. It reaches a height of 27 meters, the diameter of the ring of walls is 23 meters. In 1912, the building was painted white and received its modern name. Nowadays, a museum is located on the territory of the tower.

    The White Tower
    City embankment

    City embankment

    The place where all the tourist routes of Thessaloniki begin. The street is located on the site of the city walls demolished in the XIX century. It stretches from the White Tower to the port. The embankment runs along the water's edge. There is a lively avenue and hotels on the shore. Bicycle paths and pedestrian alleys are equipped for tourists, as well as cozy green squares where you can relax from the midday heat.

    Aristotle Square

    The central square of Thessaloniki, which finally took shape at the beginning of the XX century, when the whole city underwent a large-scale reconstruction after a fire. Concerts, festive events, political rallies and other public events are constantly held here. The monumental neoclassical buildings of the Electra Palace hotels and the Olympion Cinema are located on Aristotle Square.

    Aristotle Square
    Monument to Alexander the Great

    Monument to Alexander the Great

    The monument is located on the city embankment in the immediate vicinity of the White Tower. The residents of Thessaloniki have a special attitude to the personality of Alexander the Great. It was during his reign that the city reached its maximum heyday. The figure of the king sits on a rampant horse. On a wide pedestal behind the statue of the Macedonian, spears with shields are reinforced, on which symbolic images are applied.

    Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

    The museum was opened in 1962 in a building designed by P. Karantinos. The exposition covers a wide period of the history of the region of Macedonia in general and the city in particular. More artifacts were found as a result of excavations. The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is considered one of the best in Greece. Many valuable artifacts are several hundred years old, they are of great value to history.

    Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
    Thessaloniki Military Museum

    Thessaloniki Military Museum

    The museum has been operating since 2000. The exposition is located in a building of the beginning of the XX century, it is considered part of the collection of the Military Museum of Athens. There are artifacts and documents related to various events that took place in the history of Greece: the Balkan Wars, the Greco-Italian War, the Greek Revolution, the First and Second World Wars. The museum has a library where the publications of the Greek Defense Ministry are kept.

    Museum of Byzantine Culture

    The museum was established in 1994 under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Greece. The exposition, as the name implies, is devoted to the cultural history of the Byzantine Empire. The collection is located in several thematic halls. The decision to establish the museum was made in 1913. During the First World War, all the artifacts were taken to Athens for security purposes. The assembly returned to its place only after several decades.

    Museum of Byzantine Culture
    Museum of the Struggle for Macedonia

    Museum of the Struggle for Macedonia

    The museum's collection is devoted to aspects of the armed conflict of 1904-1908 and its consequences (the struggle of Greece for the region of Macedonia). It is located in a building of the XIX century, erected in the neoclassical style designed by E. Zeller. Among the exhibits there are weapons, personal belongings of the leaders of the struggle, books, newspapers, valuable archival documents. The museum hosts group tours and educational lectures.

    Ataturk House Museum

    The famous Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in Thessaloniki in 1881, when the city was part of the Ottoman Empire. The house where he spent his childhood and youth was turned into a museum in the middle of the XX century. It was here that the reformer discussed the ideas of a free democratic state with his associates. All the furnishings, pieces of furniture, documents, personal belongings of Ataturk located in the building are authentic.

    Ataturk House Museum
    Science Center and Museum of Technology

    Science Center and Museum of Technology

    The museum was organized in 1978 in order to popularize scientific discoveries and research. The exhibition contains various technical mechanisms and devices that people have been inventing since ancient times. The museum also has a digital planetarium, a virtual attraction and an interactive technopark where you can explore various natural phenomena in action.

    Jewish Museum

    The exposition opened in 2000 on the territory of the neoclassical building of 1904, where the Bank of Attica was previously located. The structure miraculously survived the devastating fire that engulfed the city in 1917. The collection is dedicated to the everyday and cultural aspects of the life of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki. An impressive part of the collection tells about the events of the Holocaust that swept Europe in the 1930s and 40s.

    Jewish Museum
    Basilica of St. Demetrius

    Basilica of St. Demetrius

    A temple erected on the site of ancient Roman baths in the IV century (according to one of the generally accepted versions). The first building of the basilica lasted until the VII century, then it was destroyed by earthquakes and fires. In the XIV century, a mosque was placed in the temple. Christian worship services resumed at the beginning of the XX century. During the fire of 1917, the building was badly damaged and was reconstructed by 1950. The relics of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica are kept in the church.

    Hagia Sophia

    The Orthodox church, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is believed that the first basilica on this site appeared in the V century. In the VIII century, a building was erected that has survived to the present day. In the XI century, the temple was rebuilt and significantly expanded, from the XV to XX centuries. it was used as a mosque. After the return of Thessaloniki to Greece following the results of the First Balkan War, the church was again transferred to the Christian community.

    Hagia Sophia
    Vlatadon Monastery

    Vlatadon Monastery

    An Orthodox monastery founded in the XIV century with the active assistance of the Byzantine Empress Anna Palaiologos, who at that time settled in Thessaloniki. The main cathedral of the monastery is a magnificent monument of architecture of the Byzantine era, which has survived for several centuries and has been preserved in excellent condition. The rest of the buildings belong to later periods.

    Latomu Monastery

    The monastery is located in the central part of Thessaloniki. It was founded in the V-VI centuries, but the ancient buildings have not reached our days. Like many other Christian monasteries and churches, the main temple of Latom was turned into a mosque under the Ottoman Turks and existed in this capacity until the beginning of the XX century. During the restoration work, frescoes of the XII century were discovered under a layer of plaster.

    Latomu Monastery
    Church of St. Nicholas of Orphanos

    Church of St. Nicholas of Orphanos

    The main cathedral of the Vlatadon Monastery, dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Orphanos). The foundation of the temple dates back to the beginning of the XIV century. The interior wall painting of the church is well preserved due to the fact that the walls were covered with plaster (the temple was used as a mosque until the XVII century). The building is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a valuable monument of early Christian architecture.

    St. Panteleimon 's Church

    The Byzantine temple of the XIII century, which is located in the center of Thessaloniki. It is surrounded on all sides by modern neighborhoods. Despite the fact that the church is included in the UNESCO register, it has not been completely restored. In some places, the building has a rather neglected appearance, but this does not detract from its architectural value at all. The interior has been lost, only a few original frescoes have been preserved.

    St. Panteleimon 's Church
    Panagia Chalkeon Church

    Panagia Chalkeon Church

    A picturesque cross-domed temple of the early Christian period, erected in the XI century. The church building is built of red brick. After the transfer of Thessaloniki back to Greece in 1912, the temple stood abandoned until the 1930s. During the restoration work, the Church of Panagia Halkeon acquired its original appearance. Unfortunately, the interior wall painting has not been preserved very well.

    Galeria Arch

    An architectural monument of the Roman era, which is part of the burial complex of Emperor Maximilian Galerius, who ruled in the III-IV centuries. In the V century, the building was converted into a church, since the XIV century there was a mosque. Only a part of the stone wall with bas-reliefs and two arched passages has survived to this day. The Galeria Arch is one of the most significant architectural monuments of Thessaloniki.

    Galeria Arch
    Rotunda of Galeria

    Rotunda of Galeria

    The structure of the beginning of the III century, presumably built in honor of the pagan god Zeus. According to another version, this is the memorial complex of Emperor Maximilian Galerius. In the IV century, the building was converted into a church, in the XVI century, the Sheikh S. H. Efendi mosque was made of it. In the period 1912-1978, the rotunda housed an exhibition of Byzantine and early Christian sculpture.

    Greek Agora and Roman Forum

    The ancient Roman forum was discovered in the 1960s as a result of excavations in the central part of Thessaloniki. Even earlier, the Greek agora was located here – a wide square surrounded by temples, public buildings and craft workshops. A theater has been preserved from ancient buildings, which after restoration began to be used for concerts, as in the times of Ancient Greece and Rome.

    Greek Agora and Roman Forum
    The fortress of Eptapirgio

    The fortress of Eptapirgio

    The northern part of the fortress was built in the IV century under Emperor Theodosius I (according to an alternative version – in the IX century), the southern part appeared much later – in the XII century. Until the XIX century, the fort was used for military purposes, then a prison was placed on its territory. Since the late 1980s, the building has been transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 1995, the first phase of archaeological excavations was completed.

    OTE TV Tower

    The TV tower was erected in 1966 and reconstructed in 2005. The structure reaches a height of 76 meters. Inside, a panoramic restaurant is placed on a rotating platform, which makes a complete revolution around its axis in 40 minutes. The TV tower also has an observation deck from where you can admire Thessaloniki. The interior of the building is used for various official events.

    OTE TV Tower
    Modiano Market

    Modiano Market

    A large market that started operating in 1922 thanks to a merchant of Jewish origin, E. Modiano. The shops are located near Aristotle Square, almost in the very center of Thessaloniki. The market sells local products, souvenirs, flowers and other goods. There are also taverns-uzeri, where creative people gather. Not far from the bazaar there is a complex of Turkish baths Yahudi Hamam.

    Waterland Water Park

    The water park is located 8 km from Thessaloniki. It was opened in 1994. At that time, its technical equipment was considered one of the best in the south of Europe. Today "Waterland" looks a little outdated, but this does not prevent tourists from visiting it at all. The water park has eight slides, several pools, bars, sports fields, a play area for children and equipped picnic areas.

    Waterland Water Park