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AGIOS DIMITRIOS BASILICA OF THESSALONICA

Church – Cathedral – Basilica – Chapel
4.3/5
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Agiou Dimitriou 83, Thessaloniki, Greece
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2024
Recommended
2024

The largest church in Thessalonica and a place of pilgrimage, it dates from the century: mosaics, relics, crypt, etc. Unesco.

This 7th-century five-aisled basilica (Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Δημητρίου/Ieros Naos Agiou Dimitriou) is one of 15 monuments in Thessaloniki listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Located right in the center, it is the city's largest church (53.6 x 33 m) and a major pilgrimage site: it was built on the supposed site of the martyrdom of Saint Demetrios. Put to death under Diocletian around 306, he became the city's protector and one of the most sacred figures among Orthodox Christians the world over. The present building is the result of a complex history, including reconstruction following the great fire of 1917. And although transformed into a mosque for four centuries (c. 1500-1912), it continued to welcome Christian pilgrims at certain times. This testifies to the relative tolerance of the Ottomans and their deep veneration for Thessaloniki's megalomartyr. The basilica's special place is also reflected in its rich décor: Corinthian capitals and red, green and white columns from ancient buildings, the magnificent Renaissance sarcophagus of a late 15th-century merchant (to the left of the entrance), the golden ossuary of St. Demetrios (north transept), the marble reliquary of St. Gregory, the altarpieces in the sanctuary..

Mosaics, crypt and garden. Particularly noteworthy are the remarkably fine 7th-century mosaics: on the right pillar before the sanctuary is one depicting St. Demetrios, a masterpiece of Byzantine art. Some medieval frescoes have also survived, notably in the Agios Efthymios chapel added in 1303 to the right of the sanctuary. Beneath the church, the large vaulted crypt occupies former Roman baths. Today, it houses a museum (closed on Tuesdays) featuring Byzantine sculptures and an ancient fountain transformed into a baptistery. Legend has it that the fountain oozes myrrh-scented oil from the remains of Saint Demetrios... The garden also holds surprises in store, with carved stones bearing Latin, Ottoman and Hebrew inscriptions. This is the surplus from the church's major reconstruction project (1930-1948), during which all kinds of materials were used, including thousands of graves from the huge Jewish cemetery destroyed by the Nazis and now occupied by the HelExpo complex and Aristotle University.

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Members' reviews on AGIOS DIMITRIOS BASILICA OF THESSALONICA

4.3/5
4 reviews
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Ithea
Visited in august 2023
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Belle église
A visiter, en particulier sa crypte. Une des plus belles de la ville.
hhnguyen
Visited in february 2020
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tres belle eglise du style byzantine avec de joli décorations sur le mur et le plafond.
Adélie53
Visited in may 2019
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Magnifique église Byzantine
Magnifique église Byzantine avec de superbes fresques. A voir
steph.fe
Visited in june 2019
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Superbe église byzantine l interieur est magnifique avec ses icones et tableaux
Grande crypte et petit jardin al exterieur

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