MUSEUM OF BYZANTINE CULTURE

This large museum (Μουσείο Βυζαντινού Πολιτισμού/Mousio Vyzantinou Politismou) houses a rich collection devoted to the Eastern Roman Empire, known as Byzantine, of which Thessalonica was for eleven centuries (330-1430) the main pole after Constantinople. Here, visitors can extend their visit to the city's UNESCO heritage in a modern building subtly inspired by Byzantine architecture. The first rooms also represent a transition from the neighboring Archaeological Museum: in the early days of the Empire, the only significant change from the Roman period was Christianity, which became the official religion in 380. But it was still in its infancy: the marble ambo and Corinthian capitals here seem to have come from a polytheistic temple. And the beautiful peacock mosaic evokes both the new concept of the Resurrection and the fetish bird of the goddess Hera. In Room 3, funerary rites still borrow from ancient religion: gold objects for the afterlife, worship of the deceased on the décor of the tomb of Eustorgios (^4th century), etc. But as early as the^5th century, a fresco illustrating "Susanna and the Elders" (Old Testament) indicates an appropriation of the Scriptures. These works are invaluable. Room 4 reminds us of the destruction caused by invasions and, above all, by the internal crisis of iconoclasm (726-843). In the end, the cult of icons triumphed, and the Empire reached its apogee under the Comnene dynasty.

Profusion of icons. In the ^9th century, Thessalonica was the first center of Slavic evangelization, with Cyril and Methodius. The city also prospered economically. This is illustrated by the jewelry produced by its craftsmen, such as these gold and enamel bracelets from the ^10th century. Room 7 then details three key moments in the "twilight of Byzantium": the sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the bloody capture of Thessalonica by the Ottomans in 1430, and the demise of the Empire in 1453. But the tour doesn't stop there. Rooms 8, 9 and 10 are packed with icons! They date from the ^12th to the ^18th century. Some are magnificent, others very rare. But all are now highly codified. The repetition of images of St. George, St. Demetrios or the Virgin of Tenderness tells us one thing: the survival of Byzantine culture long after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. On the first floor, you'll find a temporary exhibition, a store and the pleasant courtyard of the "B" restaurant.