Thessaloniki, the city of many faces
The second largest city in Greece and one of the greatest financial and commercial centers of Southeastern Europe, Thessaloniki is today the biggest exporting port in the country and a lively metropolis of one million people. Its cultular heritage is being reflected in its museums, art galleries and libraries,
studied at its intellectual establishments and cultivated through a remarkable cultural activity.
Its countless monuments and archaeological sites are unique places where the visitor's spirits can be lifted.The character of a modern Mediterranean metropolis is outlined through the numerous international exhibits , trade fairs and conferences held throughout the entire year. Furthermore, the tastes of its restaurants, famous all over Greece,and a lively rich nightlife complement a very pleasant stay. Thessaloniki is an experience well worth living.
Here is a brief description of the city's history:
315 B.C.
Thessaloniki founded by King Cassander of Macedonia.The city soon becomes the commercial and cultural center of Macedonia and of the Balcan peninsula.
168 B.C.
The Romans make Thessaloniki the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and the Southern Balcans. The construction of the famous Via Egnatia together with the city's harbour contributes to Thessaloniki's growth and prosperity.
395 A.D.
Founding of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is proclaimed "coregent" with Constantinople. The city takes on a Byzantine character which it has maintained to the present day, with more (and more significant) Byzantine monuments than any other city in Europe.
1430
Thessaloniki is occupied by the Turks. After a period of economic and cultural stagnation, the city begins to exploit the reforming tendencies of the Ottoman Empire and becomes once again a commercial and cultural beacon for the peoples of the Balcans.At this period the famous landmark of the city, the white tower, was built.
1912
Thessaloniki is liberated by the Greek army on the feast day of its patron saint, Aghios Dimitrios. It soon enters a new period of rapid economic and cultural growth, evolving to the second biggest city in Greece.
1994
Thessaloniki is one of the major metropolitan centres in the Meditarranean basin.
1997
Thessaloniki: the Cultural Capital of Europe.
The above information was taken from the 'Organization for the Cultural
Capital of Europe Thessaloniki 1997' leaflet.
