The city, named after the half-sister of Alexander of Macedon

Complicated history of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki - the administrative center of Aegean Macedonia and second largest city of Greece. Not far from the city is the mouth of the Vardar River, which flows into the Aegean Sea. Thessaloniki is situated 300 km south of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. Thessaloniki with its stunning architecture and historical monuments listed in UNESCO World Heritage List. The city was founded by King Cassander of Macedonia in 315 BC He decided to name the city after his wife Thessalonica, which accounted for a half-sister to Alexander the Great. Quay: not Havana, but Thessaloniki Thessaloniki was the capital of four Roman provinces in Macedonia after its conquest by the Romans. During his second visit to Macedonia, the Apostle Paul preached in the local synagogue, which was intended mainly for local Jews. At the same time founded the first Christian church and religious brotherhood. Because of dissatisfaction with local chieftains Jewry, he left town and headed to the northwest, the city Berea. Thessaloniki was one of the most important commercial centers of the Byzantine Empire. In this city, born of the Enlightenment Slavic Saints Cyril and Methodius. In 1204 the city was conquered by the Crusaders, the participants of the Fourth Crusade. Knights of Thessaloniki proclaimed capital of the Kingdom of the Thessalonians. In 1207 the Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan and his army besieged the city in an attempt to free him from the Crusaders, but was betrayed by his wife and killed. Arch Gallery In 1224 the city became part of the possessions of Epirus. In 1235, under Tsar Ivan Assen II, Epirus became a vassal territory of Bulgaria, however, after his death, the Bulgarian state has weakened, and in 1246 merged with the Thessaloniki. Later, during the invasion of Turks in this region, due to the inability to protect the city of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos sold it to Venice. The city remained in the hands of the Venetians until 1430, when he still was captured by the Turks. In 1492, after the persecution of the Jews in Spain, many of them settled in Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki became the largest center of Jewish Studies in the Balkans. In the XVII-XIX centuries and until the beginning of XX century, most of the population were Jews of Thessaloniki. In Thessaloniki had a large number of Jewish schools and printing presses, one of the largest industrial enterprises in the Ottoman Empire belonged to the local Jews. During the Turkish rule of Thessaloniki was one of the largest cultural and educational centers in the Balkans. The city was ruled by the Ottoman Empire until 1912 and was called Selonik. During the First Balkan War the city was captured by the Greeks, and in 1913 under the terms of Treaty of Bucharest, was annexed by Greece. The Rotunda of St. George during the First World War, Thessaloniki were busy Anglo-French troops, who staged a base here for warfare against Bulgaria, which fought on the side of Germany. The city was formed interim government led by Elefterosa Venizelos, who served the Allied forces, although he thought that the King of Greece Constantine I would be best to remain neutral. In a strong fire of 1917 was wiped out much of Thessaloniki. Most of the Jewish people had lost their possessions in the fire and was forced to emigrate. Many of them moved to Palestine, France and the United States. After the Greco-Turkish War in 1922 the population of the city start to grow rapidly. As a result of the defeat of Greece lost its possessions on the coast of Asia Minor and the city of Izmir. Thousands of refugees from war-torn areas were fixed in Thessaloniki. Customs and traditions which they brought with them had a great influence on the further development of the city. The White Tower The most significant landmark is the White Tower of Thessaloniki. It was built by the Turks in XVveke as a defensive fortification. In the tower, 6 floors, and they reach a height of 30 meters. Earlier, the tower was part of the castle mills, which was destroyed in 1867. In the past, the tower was used as a place for detention, torture and executions, it has gone, and another name - Bloody Tower. The prison was disbanded in 1878, and the tower was painted white, thus got its present name. Among other things in the museums of Thessaloniki is a large number of sculptures, frescoes and other interesting artifacts that demonstrate the city's development during the period III of the XIV century. Part of the city wall Rotunda of St. George was built in the III century. It is considered the oldest church in Thessaloniki. It was conceived as a mausoleum of Emperor Galerius. The Roman emperor Constantine the Great ordered a church to arrange. In XV century the Turks turned the church into a mosque, since next to rotunda adjoined the minaret can be seen. Another important landmark is the church of St. Mary. In Thessaloniki, runs an interesting museum of Philip of Macedon, where you can see his battle armor and weapons, as well as items drawn from the tomb of the Macedonian king. In the same museum exhibits and items that belonged to his last wife, who were found in 1977 at 60 km from Thessaloniki, in the town of Vergina.