Thessaloniki Attractions
Church of Saint Penteleimon © www.saloniki.org
Churches
Thessaloniki has numerous beautiful churches, large and small,
dating from various eras, most notably Byzantine. Most are sited in
the Upper City area, which is a warren of quaint, narrow cobbled
streets and has become a fashionable quarter favoured by local city
slickers. Some of the most important churches are the church of
Saint George, a domed building dating from the 4th century AD,
which was originally the mausoleum for Roman Emperor Galerius; Agia
Sofia, the domed cruciform church built in the 8th century AD that
is a copy of the Agia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople); Agfi
Apostoli from the 14th century, with its rich Byzantine
decorations; and the 14th-century Agios Nikolaos Orfanos with it's
beautiful frescoes. Churches are wont to close in the afternoons
and sightseers are expected to dress appropriately.
