Churches in Thessaloniki

The French team had an extra day, and apart from Aghios Demetrios visited with the Greek teachers,

they visited quite a lot of other Greek Orthodox churches.

Here are their pictures:

Aghia SOPHIA

Aghia Sophia, text

Aghia SOPHIA

Church of ACHEIROPOIRTOS

Three-aisled basilica with a narthex on the west side and a second entrance with a monumental propylon in the middle of the south wall. To the east of the propylon a building is attached, probably a baptistery or a diaconicon. A small parecclesion (chapel) is formed at the east end of the north aisle. Of the interior decoration a few fragments of mosaics have survived in the soffits of the arches of the colonnades, dated to the 5th century A.D. Several parts of the wall paintings dated to the 13th century, are also preserved in the south aisle. The church was built in the middle of the 5th century, on the remains of a Roman bath. It was dedicated to the Holy Virgin "not made by human hands" (Acheiropoietos)-the name most probably refering to the cult image - and it was the first church in Thessalonike to be converted into a mosque after the conquest of the city by the Turks, in 1430. During the Turkish occupation, pracically all the figurative decoration of the church in mosaics and frescoes was hammered down. In 1930, it was turned over to the Christian cult. Excavations were carried out in 1927-28, in 1946-47 in the precinct of the church and in 1961, in the area to the west of the church. Following the earthquake of 1978, in the course of the study for the restoration of the building, several trenches were opened on the interior and in the courtyard. Extensive restoration work was undertaken at the beginning of the century, in 1927-28 and again, in 1949. After the earthquake of 1978, restoration of the monument began once again and the work is still in progress. The monument is used as a church.

Aghios NICHOLAOS - ORPHANOS

The nucleus of the rectangular church is a long timber-roofed chamber with a U-shaped ambulatory along the three sides and a triconch sanctuary at the east. The marble iconostasis is preserved almost intact as well as a considerable amount of the painted decoration, which has been dated to 1310-1320 and is of a very high aristic quality. The church was the catholicon (main church) of a monastery, dated to the early 14th century A.D. The name is related either to the philanthropic works of St. Nicholas for the sake of the orphans, or to the probable founder of the monastery, a member of the Byzantine Orphanos family. According to another suggestion, the church was founded by the Serbian kral, Milutin. It is actually a metochion (dependence) of the Vlatades Monastery and it functioned as a church even during the Turkish occupation. Excavations on the interior of the church were conducted in 1959-60 and again, in 1971, at the propylon. The monument was restored in 1959-60. The monument is used as a church.

Aghios PANTELEIMON

The church is a rectangular building with a narthex, a domed, cross-in-square naos and a tripartite sanctuary with a five-sided conch. A smaller dome covers the central part of the narthex. Two chapels are attached at the east ends of the north and south sides. The chapels originally flanked the ends of the U-shaped ambulatory that once surrounded the naos. The church was the catholicon (main church) of the Monastery of Theotocos Perivleptos, built at the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century, by James, the metropolitan bishop of Thessalonike. During the Turkish occupation it was converted into a mosque, probably between the years 1568-1571. Nearly all the frescoes that adorned the interior of the church were then hammered down and its walls whitewashed. After the liberation of the city in 1912, the monument was restored to Christian worship. Excavations in the front courtyard of the church were conducted by the 9th E.B.A. in 1973. After the earthquake of 1978, several trenches were opened inside the building and in the surrounding area.

The Arch of Galerius

Arch Galerius

Built shortly before A.D. 305 in commemoration of Galerius’ victory over the Persians in 297. It was a part of a four gateway which was situated at the point where the ceremonial way from the palace complex met the city’s busiest thoroughfare. The reliefs depict and extol the Emperor’s victory over the Persians.

Arch Galerius detail

Rotunda - Arch Galerius

Text

Rotunda Minaret

The Rotonda

A circular building erected in A.D. 306 as the Pantheon or Mausoleum of Galerius. Under Theodosius the Great it became a Christian church with only a few additions or alterations. Its mosaics are unique for the era (4th cent ury).

Rotunda ceiling