THESSALONIKI

THESSALONIKI



The White Tower

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, it is the capital of Central Macedonia and an important seaport in northern Aegean and it is situated in the North of Greece. It has a population of about 1,150,000 inhabitants. The climate of the city is Mediterranean. It was founded in 316 - 315 BC and took the name from Alexander the Great's sister.

In 146 AD Thessaloniki became part of the Roman Empire and became an important trading centre on The Via Egnatia.

Excavations have brought to life antiquities from Neolithic to Historical times, such as the Agora.

Thessaloniki has suffered many occupations by the Romans, the Arabs, the Ottomans, the Germans. The city of Thessaloniki is known in the field of Christian religion for hosting the mid-first century, a community to which Paul of Tarsus directed two epistles included in the biblical canon today.

Saints Cyril and Mathodius, who were send to Slavic Regions as missionaries of Christianity by the Byzantine Emperor Michael III, were born in Thessaloniki.

Its artistic and archaeological wealth was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988  under the name Early Christian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki and in 1997 was the European Capital of Culture.

The Aristotelion Univercity is well known with many scientists visiting it and attending seminars about the Greek Pholosopher Aristotle.

The International Thessaloniki Film Festival is held in Thessaloniki.

Some important sites you can see in Thessaloniki are:

The White Tower (Lefkos Pyrgos) is the symbol of the city of Thessaloniki.

The Arch of Galerius, Kamara is well known . 

The Rotonda, the  Church of St. George which happened to be a church and mausoleum where you can see stunning mosaics of IV century.

The walls of the city, surrounded by massive fortifications as Heptapirgion .

The Archaeological Museum is home to a Byzantine Museum.

The Agia Sofia church surrounded by large gardens also with beautiful mosaics.

 Panagia Ahiropíitos, early Christian basilica of the fifth century

The Haman Bey, Turkish bath 1444.

The Dazmí Hamza Bey Mosque in 1468.The Bezesten, Turkish building around the market and the Roman Agora is deployed.

Agios Dimitrios  , basilica with beautiful mosaics and a crypt of the V century .

The Dodeka Apostoli church built between 1310 and 1314.

The Church of Agia Ekaterini late thirteenth.

The Monastery Vlatadon from whose gardens you get a fantastic view of the city.

The novel about the Judeo-Spanish, A walk in the molo Hector Manuel Enriquez Andrade, takes place in this city.

Thessaloniki is the place where they invented the popular Cafe Frappe.

1. Thessaloniki is in the ..................of Greece.
a. South
b. North
c. West
d. East

2. The White Tower is in.........
a. Athens
b. Thessaloniki
c. Patra
d. Kilkis

3. You can see ................ in Thessaloniki.
a. The Rotonda
b. The White Tower
c.  Kamara
d. all the above