Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
The city of Thessaloniki in Macedonia, Greece, for several centuries the second-most important city of the Byzantine Empire, played an important role for Christianity during the Middle Ages and was decorated by impressive buildings. Because of Thessaloniki's importance during the early Christian and Byzantine periods, the city contains several Paleochristian monuments that have significantly contributed to the development of Byzantine art and architecture throughout the Byzantine Empire and Serbia. The evolution of Imperial Byzantine architecture and the prosperity of Thessaloniki go hand in hand, especially during the first years of the Empire, when the city continued to flourish. Despite the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Empire in 1430, the Christian monuments were not destroyed, and travelers such as Paul Lucas and Abdulmejid I document the city's wealth in Christian monuments during the Ottoman control of the city.
Inside the crypt of Hagios Demetrios
Walls of Thessaloniki
Rotunda of St George
Interior of Rotunda
Thessaloniki, also known as Thessalonica, Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece, with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. It is also known in Greek as "η Συμπρωτεύουσα", literally "the co-capital", a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα or "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire alongside Constantinople.
Ancient coin depicting Cassander, son of Antipater, and founder of the city of Thessaloniki
The fourth-century AD Rotunda of Galerius, one of several Roman monuments in the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Section of the Walls of Thessaloniki
Church of the Acheiropoietos (5th century) at the city's centre