Culture of Thessaloniki. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

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.

» 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.

» The Sasanid’s victory over the Persian Empire is represented by the monument in the form of the arch doorway. It was constructed upon the order of Emperor Galerius.
»  The triumphal construction date back to the late 3rd-early 4th century. The arch linked galleries that led to the mausoleum and the palace.
»  There are embossed scenes of battles on all the walls of the brick pedestal. Wide panels of the four-tier canvasses depict the great defeat of the enemy.
»  Canvasses are separated from each other by a chain decorated with flowers and leaves. The upper cornice is decorated with sculptural chamomiles.
»  The solid molded picture depicts figures with improper proportions, for example, horses look smaller than riders. This style is called “narrative composition”.
»  According to the inscriptions, the sculpture was created by Greek masters.
»  It depicts battles, forgiven captives, and parts of city constructions. Figurines of elephants and camels represent battles held in the East.
»  The preserved part of the wall is 29 m long.
»  The arch of the early Christian and Byzantium architectural style gained the status of the guarded cultural object.