About this experience
During the excursion, you will visit the main shrines of Thessaloniki and, leisurely strolling through the quarters of the old city, you will learn about the history of the emergence of Christianity, its spread on the land of Macedonia, and in Europe.
Of the 4 oldest temples in Greece, 3 are located in Thessaloniki. In total, the city is home to more than 50 Orthodox shrines. During the Byzantine era, the city was one of the important centers of theology in the empire, preserving the teachings of the apostles intact and strictly following their commandments.
Program:
We will visit both the most significant and lesser-known temples of the city:
- Church of Saint Demetrius;
- Panagia Chalkeon;
- Hagia Sophia;
- Catacombs of Saint John the Baptist;
- Panagia Acheiropoietos;
- Place of Saint Paul's first sermons;
- Vlatadon Monastery.
This is just a small list of the shrines we will visit. And as we move from one temple to another, you will hear the story of how in Greece, the homeland of philosophy with its unique ancient religion, there was a replacement of faith and why ancient temples were destroyed, and Olympic games, theaters, and circuses were banned as pagan heritage. You will learn why the city, at the time of the birth of the equal-to-apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius, was bilingual (Greek and Slavic) and why the choice of the Patriarch of Constantinople for missionary work in Moravia fell on them.
The numerous relics of the venerable saints in Thessaloniki, like a magical book, will narrate the history of the formation of monotheistic dogmas in Orthodoxy, complementing local artifacts and framing them with wonderful legends of local saints. By touching the holy relics, we will experience the grace that descended from the venerable preachers of Christianity, the founders of the Orthodox faith, which has come down to us through the centuries and millennia with the unchanged spirit of mutual love and care for our neighbor.
The unique architectural monuments of the iconoclasm period will reveal to us the veil of a terrible tragedy that shattered the Orthodox world, the remnants of the emperor's palace, as silent witnesses will tell of the murder of 7000 citizens during the reign of Theodosius the Great, who was baptized in Thessaloniki. You will learn about this and much more on the excursion.
