Roman sites in Thessaloniki

By Kyriakos and Andreana 2nd class 1ο ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΛΥΚΕΙΟ ΤΡΙΑΝΔΡΙΑΣ 1st lyceum of Triandria

There are several Roman sites in our surroundings but the most famous and important are the following:

1. Roman Market 2. Rotonda 3. Arch of Galerius

Firstly, the pupils visited the Roman Market.

Roman market, centre Thessaloniki

It’s located in the center of the city in an imaginary straight line and if you extend it, it meets mount Olympus. During the Roman period this market place represented the social and religious center of the town and had the most important buildings. This spot was the center of activities of Thessaloniki for about 8 centuries, almost from the foundation of the town (3rd century B.C.), which is also the date when the Roman Market was constructed. Nowadays, it remains in a good condition and it is used as an outdoor museum. Whenever you take a walk in the center of the city you can admire the ruins of the Roman Market. Pupils were impressed by the well-preserved mosaic wish is still in a very good condition.

Later, the pupils visited The Arch of Galerius, better known as Kamara. It is located at the center of the city in the same imaginary line as the Roman Market. During the Roman period it used to be a Triumph Arch and nowadays it’s still remains one of the most famous symbols of the city. It was built between 298 to 299 A.D. Nowadays it is in a good condition and it is used as an outdoor museum, like the Roman Market and attracts thousands of tourists. The restoration of the Arch of Galerius was implemented within the framework of the 2nd and 3rd Central Macedonian Regional Operational Programmes (1994-2000 and 2002-2006), with funding from the Greek ministry of Culture and the E.U. The pupils mostly liked the two pillars which depict the wars of Galerius against the Persians but they were impressed by the reason that the Arch of Galerius built-after the victory of the Roman Army against the Persians.

Arch of Galerius on the left; Rotonda on the right

Finally, the pupils went to Rotonda (or Rotunda) which is near the previously mentioned Roman sites.

Rotonda

It was built in 306 A.D. and it used to be a church dedicated to god Zeus or god Kaveiros. Others say that it was used as the mausoleum of Galeriusn The impressive thing about Rotonda is its circular shape which is a little bit innovative and modern for a Christian temple.

Ceiling Rotonda

Pupils mostly liked the church which was embellished with a very high quality mosaics. The impressive thing about it, is its diameter which is 24,5 m. Also, the walls are more than 6m thick which is why it has withstood Thessaloniki’s earthquakes.