The city has many monuments from hundreds of years ago, with many ancient, Hellenistic, Roman, early Christian and Byzantine. The symbol of Thessaloniki is the White Tower. Other important monuments are the Roman Agora, the Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda, the church of Agios Dimitrios, the city walls and many of Byzantine churches. Some of them are presented below:
Important Macedonian tombs were found in the area of Thessaloniki, such as the Macedonian Tomb in Derveni, which is open to the public. An ancient road 15 meters long leads to the two-chambered Macedonian tomb with the Ionian facade. The burial monument of Thessaloniki (late 4th – early 3rd century BC) is located in ancient Liti, one of the most important cities of the Macedonian kingdom.
The Roman Agora is a work of the 2nd-3rd century AD. Its portico was double, with columns that had relief representations (today they are kept in the Louvre)
The Rotunda, the Pantheon of Thessaloniki is a circular building, with a diameter of about 24m. It is covered by a hemispherical dome and was built at the beginning of the 4th century AD. to be used as a temple or mausoleum of Galerius.
The Arch of Galerius was built shortly before 305 AD. and is also called Kamara.
The Palaces of Galerius is an imposing building complex that is part of the Galerius complex and is located in the center of Thessaloniki.
The Hippodrome was located next to the eastern walls of the city (today’s Hippodrome Square).
The fortification walls were built by Theodosius the Great, in the 4th century. They were repaired many times to withstand the barbaric raids. Today, the entire length of the western walls and the Upper City, as well as the remains of the eastern walls, are preserved from the Byzantine walls of Thessaloniki.
The Byzantine temples of Thessaloniki are a sample of the ecclesiastical architecture and art of the early Christian times and of the Byzantine Period. The most representative is the Church of Agios Dimitrios, built in the 7th century on the ruins of an older church. It was destroyed by fire (1917), restored and reopened after World War II.
The only surviving Byzantine bath is located in Koule Kafe square, in Ano Poli. It dates from the 13th century and is covered with a dome and arches.
The port of Thessaloniki is dominated by the White Tower, which was built after the conquest of the city by the Ottomans (1430) and was part of the fortifications of the city.
Two of the surviving mosques of the Ottoman Empire period are the Alaja Imaret and the Alcazar.
Another important monument of this period is the Yeni Mosque, built in 1902 by the Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli and served as a place of worship for Jews who had converted to Islam.
The mosque of Lebet, which was built for the imprisoned Muslims in the camp, is also preserved in the camp of Pavlos Melas.
The first ottoman bath in Thessaloniki, built in 1444. Bey Hammam (Paradise Baths) is the largest in Greece.
During the 18th and 19th century the post-Byzantine temples were built in the city, some of which are: Agios Minas, Nea Panagia, Agios Antonios, Ypapantis, Panagouda, Agios Charalambos, Agios Athanasios, Panagia Laodigitria, and others.
The Monastery of Lazarists was built in Stavroupoli in 1886, by monks of the order of St. Vincent of Paul, widely known as Lazarists. Today it hosts visual arts, musical and theatrical events and is the largest cultural center in Western Thessaloniki.
The first major modern monumental urban intervention took place after the fire of 1917 with Aristotle Square, designed by the French architect and urban planner Ernest Emprar.
The most recognizable of the modern monuments of the city is the OTE Tower, work of the architect Alexandros Anastasiadis.
In Nea Paralia is the statue of Alexander the Great, erected in 1970, in the Hagia Sophia square the statue of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Smyrna, in Eleftherias Square the monument to the Holocaust of the Jews of Thessaloniki. The Monument of the Thracian Heroes 1821, dedicated to Antonis and Domna Visvizi, is located on Alexander the Great Avenue.
The most characteristic sculptures of the city are: the Sculpture in the Fountain Square and the Umbrellas (1997) in Nea Paralia, both works by George Zongolopoulos. The Bathing in the fountain located in the Square of the Royal Theater and the Boy whistling in the Square of Navarino, both of which are works by Nikolaos Pavlopoulos.
The most characteristic sculptures of the city are: the Sculpture in the Fountain Square and the Umbrellas (1997) in Nea Paralia, both works by George Zongolopoulos. The Bathing in the fountain located in the Square of the Royal Theater and the Boy whistling in the Square of Navarino, both of which are works by Nikolaos Pavlopoulos.
The list of monuments that one can visit in the city of Thessaloniki is literally endless for this and we reserve the right to return with more details.
Marni Hatziemmanouil
