Thessaloniki_EN

30
3 rd walk:
HISTORIC CENTRE (2)
MUSEUM AREA
flats facing the adjacent
Ippodromiou square. This was
a 450 m. long and a 95 m.
wide structure and it used to
be the centre of social activity
for citizens until 390 AD,
when emperor Theodosius
ordered the massacre of
7,000 Thessalonians there;
the event led to the closedown
of the Hippodrome. It is
worth visiting the Thessaloniki
History Centre, situated in the
square’s south side as well as
the remarkable 18 th c. Agios
Antonios church in Margariti
street nearby.
8.7 Arched Hall.
It lies at the intersection
of Gounari and Svolou streets.
This was a place with heating
installations for holding
symposia and ceremonies.
It had a direct access to
the imperial box in the
Hippodrome.
8.8 Theatre - stadium
in Apellou Street.
The remains of a building
have been located at 5 &
7 Apellou St., and they are
considered to have been part
of the theatre-stadium of the
town, which was in use from
the 1 st until the 4 th c. AD.
There are references connecting
this place with the martyrdom
of Agios Dimitrios, the city’s
patron saint.
9 THREE CHURCHES
On the south side of Egnatia
Street, between K. Palaiologou
St. (to the west) and Agapinou
St. (to the east) there are three
interesting churches at a short
distance from each other that
are definitely worth visiting.
MUST SEE:
9.1 Panagouda Church
(Panagia Gorgoepikoos
– Our Lady Quick to Hear)-
also called the Church of Mikri
Panagia. This building (1818)
was erected on the spot of an
older church destroyed by fire
in 1789, and it was located at
the heart of the city’s Greek
quarters during the Turkish
Occupation. According to 12 th
- 14 th c. historical references,
this used to be the location
of the Monastery of Panagia
Gorgoepikoos and it is still
known by that name. Next
to it you will see the historic
neoclassical building of the
Greek Highschool (1893).
9.2 The Transfiguration
of Christ Church
(see p. 10)
9.3 The Presentation
of the Lord Church.
It was built in 1840, on the
spot where a chapel had been
constructed in 1543 dedicated
to Saint Joel. Today only the
chapel’s holy doors still remain,
depicting the Annunciation
(according to the Cretan
School of Art). The church lies
on the same level as Egnatia
Street during the Byzantine
times. The icon screen depicts
the Annunciation and dates
back to 1843; the five larger
icons were crafted in 1943.
10 THESSALONIKI
INTERNATIONAL
FAIR (TIF)
It was inaugurated in 1926
in nearby Pedio Areos; in 1940
though, increasing needs led
to its relocation in today’s
facilities; in 1951 it assumed
its activities after a break
during the war. During the
50’s and 60’s many pavilions
were built, based on the
commands of the modern
times; they were planned
by major Greek architects
such as A. Konstantinidis, N.
Valsamakis, I. Rizos, P. Tsolakis,
D. Kapsampelis, A. Zannos
etc. Moreover, the TIF grounds
house two modern convention
centres, namely Ioannis
Vellidis offering seating for
2,100 and Nikolaos Germanos
with seating for 400. You
can enter through the gate
on the YMCA square, the one
on Angelaki street or through
the two gates on Egnatia
street (for TIF, see p. 108).
MUST SEE:
10.1 Macedonian Museum
of Contemporary Art.
It was established in 1979
and it is the first museum of
modern art in Greece. Since
2001, it has been housed in a
building that covers a 4,000m 2
area. In the courtyard there
are modern sculptures, such
as “Umbrellas”, a construction
of moveable parts with water.
(1995, G. Zongolopoulos,
see also p. 51); there are also
roman graves and a road on
display dating to the 2 nd – 3 rd
c. AD (for museum collections
3 rd walk:
HISTORIC CENTRE (2)
MUSEUM AREA
31
28 29 30
28.
The
Macedonian
Museum of
Contemporary
Art.
29.
View of the
Thessaloniki
International
Trade Fair
facilities.
30.
The OTE Tower
commanding
the city.