Although the basilica does not look particularly monumental from the outside, its interior delights with its spaciousness and beautiful decoration. Marble columns with Corinthian capitals divide the space into three naves, but the main one is undoubtedly the golden mosaics depicting the life of St. Dimitrios, which are among the most beautiful in all of Greece. The early Christian Basilica of St. Dimitrios (Demetrius), rich in mosaics and paintings. The history of the temple, originally built as a small oratory, dates back to the 4th century. Over the centuries, the building was destroyed several times by fires and earthquakes, and then rebuilt. It received its current form of a five-nave basilica in the 7th century. Unfortunately, during the fire in 1917, valuable mosaics and wall paintings were lost. podrozepoeuropie.pl/saloniki-zwiedzanie

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Jaro🇵🇱⛷️🛶🚴🏃‍♂️

June 23, 2025

The temple is associated with the legend of St. Demetrius, the patron saint of the city, who was executed on the orders of Emperor Galerius around 305 during the intensified persecution of Christians. According to tradition, he came from a local aristocratic family and, despite his young age (25), held the high office of prefect (local military and civil governor). However, as a crypto-Christian and at the same time a preacher of a new faith, he fell out of favor with the emperor and was imprisoned. In turn, his friend and fellow believer Nestor was sentenced to a mortal duel with an invincible skirmisher and favorite of the emperor named Lieos during the gladiatorial games in the Salonika arena-stadium. Before the fight began, Nestor visited the imprisoned Demetrius and asked for a blessing. To the surprise of the audience, Nestor defeated Lieos in a duel, which was interpreted by the audience as a victory of the new (Christian) faith over the traditional (Greco-Roman pantheon). Despite the victory, the Christians did not save their lives. In a fit of emotion and anger, Galerius ordered both of them to be killed outside the arena. However, this act caused Demetrius to be considered a patron saint protecting the city from invaders.
podrozepoeuropie.pl/saloniki-zwiedzanie

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Jaro🇵🇱⛷️🛶🚴🏃‍♂️

June 23, 2025

The temple is open to visitors daily from 6:00 to 22:00. Entry to the main nave and crypt is free. Of course, when visiting such a place, especially during a service, one should behave with seriousness.

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Elevation 50 m

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Friday 24 October

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100 %

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Max wind speed: 4.0 km/h

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Location: Thessaloniki, Macedonia - Thrace, Greece

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