Early Christian & Byzantine
Άγιος Δημήτριος | Hagios Demetrios
The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, dating from a time when it was the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire.
The first church on the spot 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. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.
The church was converted into mosque during the reign of sultan Bayezid II (1481-1512). SOme of the magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church.
Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.
#Thessaloniki #Greece
#church #Christian #Orthodox #Byzantine #Greek #Demetrios #architecture #basilica #columns #heritage #travel
Άγιος Δημήτριος | Hagios Demetrios
The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, dating from a time when it was the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire.
The first church on the spot 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. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.
The church was converted into mosque during the reign of sultan Bayezid II (1481-1512). SOme of the magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church.
Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.
#Thessaloniki #Greece
#church #Christian #Orthodox #Byzantine #Greek #Demetrios #architecture #basilica #columns #heritage #travel
Άγιος Δημήτριος | Hagios Demetrios
The mosaic of Staint George (previously identified as Staint Demetrius) alongside children—a captivating piece from the 7th century. These mosaics, nestled within the Church of Staint Demetrius in Thessaloniki, miraculously escaped destruction during the tumultuous iconoclast periods (730–787 and 814–843).
The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος), stands as the primary sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius—the revered patron saint of Thessaloniki. Its origins trace back to a time when Thessaloniki held the distinction of being the second-largest city in the Byzantine Empire.
The initial church on this hallowed ground was erected in the early 4th century AD, supplanting a Roman bath. A century later, Prefect Leontios replaced the modest oratory with a grander three-aisled basilica. Despite enduring multiple fires, the church emerged anew as a five-aisled basilica between 629 and 634. This enduring form remains largely unchanged to this day. In fact, it likely surpassed the local cathedral in significance, although the exact location of the latter now eludes us.
Centuries later, during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II (1481–1512), the church underwent a transformation—it became a mosque. Regrettably, some of its magnificent mosaics, once adorning the interior, were lost either during the four centuries of its mosque function (1493–1912) or in the cataclysmic Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, which ravaged much of the city. The fire also consumed the church’s roof and upper walls.