Saint Demetrius Church- Thessaloniki

 

Saint Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church-

 Thessaloniki

The first church on this site was constructed 

in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath.

A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced

 the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica.

Later years saw it gutted by fires 

and was then reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629-634. 

This is the surviving form of the church much as it is today.

It was converted into a mosque in 1493, 

and was restored to Christian worship in 1912. 

But, then it was again destroyed in the a great fire in 1917.

It was rebuilt and started to function again in 1949.

Tombstones from the city's Jewish cemetery - destroyed by

 the Greek and Nazi German Authorities- 

were used as building materials.

Saint Demetrius died by martyrdom under the 

Christian persecutions of Emperor Galerius.

He was executed by Emperor Maximian in Thessalonica,

being stabbed with spears.

St. Demetrius Church is an opportunity to visit

 a very old -still in use- Greek Orthodox Church.

Demetrius is the patron saint of Thessaloniki.

 This dates back to when the city was the second largest 

city of the Byzantine Empire.

Since 1988, it has been on the UNESCO World 

Heritage List