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Thessaloniki, which is one of the
few Greek cities to have experienced
constant cultural development, has
continuously played a significant
role in both Greek and world
history. For over 4000 years, from
the 3rdmillenium B.C. up to the
present day, Thessaloniki has been a
city which has attracted the
interest of both specialists and the
general public. Visitors to the city
can enjoy the combination of
aesthetic delight, historical and
archaeological knowledge and natural
beauty.
When king Cassander of Macedonia
founded Thessaloniki in 315 B.C, on
the site of the Ancient Greek town
of Therme, joining 26 townships at
the head of the gulf bearing the
same name, he named the city after
his wife, the half-sister of
Alexander the Great. The city
subsequently gained the reputation
of being "Mother of all Macedonia",
a commercial centre possessing
connections with all the ports of
the East, its own coinage and a
cultural development equal to that
of the other Greek cities.
A "Free City" during the Roman era,
linked to the East and the West by
the Via Egnatia(l30 B.C.) it
preserved the Greek language and its
ethnic integrity, developing into
the most populous city in Macedonia
with the most important monuments,
which continue to adorn it.
In Thessaloniki in 50 A.D. the
Apostle Paul founded the second
Christian church on the European
continent and sent it his "Epistles
to the Thessalonians".
Joint capital of the Byzantine
Empire and cradle of the Christian
faith and Greek culture,
Thessaloniki was the "eye of Europe
and particularly of Greece".
Thessaloniki still preserves
outstanding monuments which are
characteristic of Byzantine art from
the 5th until the 14th century A.D.
The artistic, intellectual and
religious influence it exerted
contributed decisively to the
development of the Balkan peoples,
who were converted to the Christian
faith by the Thessalonian
theologians Cyril and Methodius
(863) A.D.)
The cult of Saint Demetrius, the
city's patron saint, spread all over
the Balkans.
During the long period of Turkish
rule (1430-1912) and despite the
terrible acts of destruction it
suffered, Thessaloniki retained its
moral and ethnic strength, which the
city had inherited from its age-old
culture, and after constant
struggles and sacrifices succeeded
in regaining its freedom.
The capital of Macedonia, and a
commercial, industrial and spiritual
centre of international importance,
the modem city of Thessaloniki can
satisfy the demands of any visitor.
One can get on overall picture of
the history of Macedonia, and more
particularly of Thessaloniki, by
visiting the Archaeological Museum;
the largest in Macedonia. It has
existed in its present form since
1961, and its galleries are
continuously being enriched with
finds dating from prehistoric times
up to the early Christian era. The
Derveni, Sindos and Vergina
galleries, with their exhibits of
unrivalled artistry and importance
are famous throughout the world. The
Ethnological and Folk Art Museum,
which was established in 1931 and
has been running since 1947, as well
as the Museum of the Macedonian
Struggle, enable the visitor to get
to know the art and history of
recent times, the traditional
architecture which Greek artisans
spread all over the Balkans, and the
evidence of the glorious struggles
which were waged for the liberation
of Macedonia.
A tour of the city will also give
the tourist a comprehensive picture
of the city's historic past. One
should start at the Ramparts which
in their present form extend over 3
kilometers and include 6 towers. the
main one of which is the White Tower
- the symbol of Thessaloniki. Then
one should make one's way to the
Galerius complex, which dates back
to the 4th century A.D.). with the
triumphal arch, the palace and the
Rotunda, then to the Ancient Roman
Agora and the Odeon, and finally to
the churches, magnificent examples
of early Christian and Byzantine
art.
The city of Thessaloniki today,
possessing as it does the second
largest and most important port in
Greece, the International Fair -
which attracts commercial interest
from all over the world- and the
largest university in the country,
and offering cultural events,
theaters, Modern Art galleries,
libraries, some of the most
exclusive spores in Greece, an
immense variety of high standard
recreational facilities and examples
of modern architecture, art nouveau
and eclecticism, offers the visitor
an exciting experience.
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