Excursion tour in Thessaloniki. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» The White Tower is located on a waterfront. It has a museum now. There are multimedia exhibitions with illustrations and sound design.
»  There used to be an outpost here. It dated back to the 12th century.
»  Later, Turks fortified the building for it to protect the harbor. The Ottoman rulers dealt with undesirables here.
»  Kuli Blanka resembles a cylinder, is 34 meters high and 23 meters in diameter.
»  Having studied the history of Thessaloniki, you can learn how the structure was transformed. An exhibition of the tools used by jewelry craftsmen in the manufacture of precious jewelry can be found on the first level. Weapons, glassware, coins, and other household goods give an idea of the trade relations of a bygone era.
»  The second floor is dedicated to travel, trade, and the fairs where different products were sold and theatrical performances took place.
»  If you climb higher, a Byzantine dwelling, its interior decoration, and the food that people used to eat will attract your attention.
»  The fourth floor has everyday personal items on display: slippers, cosmetics, clothes.
»  The last zone is dedicated to funeral ceremonies.

» Rotunda (“round” in Latin) is a cylinder building. The ancient temple has existed for 17 centuries. The House of God has been reconstructed many times.
»  The tower, the adjacent gallery with the entrance and columns, and the Imperial Palace of Galerius make a uniform complex.
»  During the Byzantium reign, Rotunda was visited by Christians. When it was conquered by the Ottoman, the building had served as a mosque until 1912.
»  The only minaret and the artificial water source for washing.
»  According to the historical chronicles, the tower was built in 300. The huge building has a diameter of 24.5 m and is almost 30 m high. The monumental walls (6.3 m) served to protect the construction.
»  In the upper walling, there are a lot of holes through which the air and daylight are provided.
»  The mosaic has been preserved only in some inner rooms. You can see the saint with a halo in the central part of the dome.
»  There is a gilded cross in the central entrance below the arched vault. It was allegedly made in the 4th-6th century.
»  During excavations, the fan-shaped pedestal, from which sermons were pronounced, was found. The ambo was created in the 6th century.

» 20.5 thousand soldiers fighting on the Macedonian frontline are buried in the allied graveyard. There was a military hospital during the First World War.
»  Soldiers of the specially organized headquarter found human remains in the territory of Northern Greece. Their ashes were delivered to Zeitenlik (the Turkish word for “swamp”).
»  The graveyard was improved in 1936. The Montenegrin and veteran volunteered to take care of burials.
»  The Orthodox Temple was built in the graveyard. The building was designed by the Russian architect and emigrant. -
»  Outer walls of the two-storey tomb are made of limestone plates. Coating material was delivered from Serbia.
»  Cypresses grow in Serbian burial places. Their seedings were gifted by The Serbian Monastery.
»  In the territory of the Russian sector, there are marble gravestones in the form of crosses. The names of Russian warriors are engraved on them. They represent Slavic lettering and are spelled in a liturgical manner.
»  Every year, on the date of signing a truce in November 1936, the funeral ceremony is held in honor of all soldiers dying during offensive operations.
»  The Russian Embassy monitors the state of the Russian graveyard.

Location on the map:
Facts: » There is a beautiful brick building near the Arc de Triomphe. It is called Panagia Dexia.
»  The modern church was built in 1956. It replaced the Byzantium Hypatius’s Church.
»  The facade of the religious building is decorated with columns placed near the central portal. The House of God is built of light blocks. The altar is faced with patterned tiles. Wall panels are covered with the bright art painting. It depicts saints and Biblical stories.
»  Pilgrims are attracted by the Icon of the Kikk's Mother of God. It is also called the Merciful as the Virgin begs Christ for preserving the human race. There is a belief that the Holy Scripture made by the Evangelist Luke was blessed by the Mother of God. It is considered that it is her in-life portrait.
»  The name of the church derives from Kykkos.
»  The miraculous painting traveled a lot until it found refuge on the island of Cyprus. It had been in the Orthodox community in Egypt and in Constantinople.
»  The picture depicts the Virgin holding the baby on the right (Dexia), which contradicts the tradition.