Thessalonica (Thessaloniki in Greek, Saloniki in Turkish) was originally founded by Cassander, one of the Diadochoi, the successor generals of Alexander the Great, in 315 B.C. It was named after after Thessalonike, his wife and half sister of Alexander the Great. Situated on the Thermic Gulf, it became an important trade port, eventually exceeding the importance of the Macedonian Capital of Pella as that city's harbor silted in.
The city was, in turn, the most important city in the Macedonian Greek Kingdom, capital of the Roman province of Macedonia under the Roman Republic and then the capital of one of the four Roman Empire provinces of Macedon, the second most important city of the Byzantine Empire, a major city of the Ottoman Empire, and one of the last cities to be incorporated into modern Greece (1912). It also was an early center of Christianity in Europe, with two epistles of Paul being addressed to the Macedonians. It is currently the second largest city in Greece (Approximately 1,000,000 in population) and is the "anti-Athens" of Greece.
A view of the harbor. Although we did not see it, Mt. Olympus can be seen on clear days across the Thermic Gulf.
The White Tower. It stands at the harbor and was a major strongpoint in the walls of the city but was expanded by the Ottoman Turks. Used as a prison (and torture facility), it was originally known as the Red Tower until 1890, when a convict offered to whitewash the tower in exchange for his freedom. It took two years and now houses a museum of the history of the city.
Statue of Alexander the Great and his phalangites on the harbor walk. He remains a popular local son.
I'll have to remember that if I'm ever imprisoned and see if I can get off with a whitewashing job!
ReplyDeleteEd, oh to have been at that interview and hear the proposal and the reasoning.
DeleteWho knew torture was done in place called The Red Tower, sounds like something out of The Game of Thrones TB.t
ReplyDeleteNylon12 - Truth is really stranger than fiction. Yes, such places existed in real fact, not just in our imaginations.
DeleteSeems more cosmopolitan than Mystras. I'm curious as to why it is considered Greece's "anti-Athens."
ReplyDeleteLeigh, from what was described to us, Northern Greece has a different vibe and feel than Southern Greece (Macedonia was always a "Greek state apart"; the Ancient Greeks argued for years about whether the Macedonians were Greek at all). Also being a much smaller city than Athens, they almost flaunt the fact that they are "not Athens" - in fact, from what our guide said, they glory in it.
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