Thessaloniki Budget Hotels

Thessaloniki has a great and glorious history. Before it was occupied by the Turks in 1430 the city has been the country's second city by its size. In 904 the Saracens took control over the city, but 1246 it was drawn back to the empire. The city was almost as large as Istanbul, or Constantinople as it has been called then. That was the time of the city's 'golden age' though it didn't last long. The Turks got into the city in 1430 and occupied it for almost 5 hundred years. It became the homeland for even Mustafa Kemal Pascha. The population during these years was multinational. There lived Albanians and Slav, Arabians and Jews. The last were mostly destroyed during the WWII, many of them were sent to the concentration camps where they died. It was the greatest cruelty of the century.

There are now parts of the city – the Old town and the modern part. The Thermaikos Gulf waters wash Thessaloniki, making the city attractive to the tourists from all over the world. The most interesting historical sites of the city are in the old town. It might be interesting for tourists to dip into the atmosphere of 'Old Salonica' with it's beautiful ancient buildings and Byzantine temples. You will also like to visit the Kastra quarter which walls are bordering the modern part of the city. In the modern part you can do some shopping in brand-known stores and enjoy the architecture of today's Thessaloniki.
Read more: guide to Thessaloniki with maps, photos and weather conditions.

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