Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
royal tombs of Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) and others at the
ancient Macedonian capital of Aegae, in Vergina (see p.287). They include startling
amounts of gold and silver - masks, crowns, necklaces, earrings and bracelets - all of
extraordinarily imaginative craftsmanship, both beautiful and practical, as well as pieces
in ivory and bronze. Other highlights include the central gallery (opposite as you
enter), which is devoted to rich grave
finds from ancient Sindos
, a few kilometres north
of the modern city, while the left-hand wing is taken up by
Hellenistic and Roman art
,
in particular some exquisite blown-glass birds, found in the tumuli or
toúmbes
which
stud the plain around Thessaloníki.
The Museum of Byzantine Culture
Stratoú 2; June-Oct Mon 10.30am-8pm, Tues-Sun 8am-8pm; Nov-May Mon 10.30am-5pm, Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm • €4 •
T
2313
306 400,
W
mbp.gr
The prize-winning
Museum of Byzantine Culture
, in a handsome brick structure just
east of the Archeological Museum, does a fine job of displaying the early Christian
tombs and graves excavated in the city, featuring rescued wall paintings depicting,
among others,
Susannah and the Elders
, and a naked rower surrounded by sea creatures.
Despite this and the faultless lighting and display techniques, most of the displays will
appeal more to specialists than to lay visitors.
The White Tower
East end of Leofóros Níkis; Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm • €3 •
T
2310 267 832
Dominating the seafront promenade, the
White Tower (Lefkós Pýrgos)
is the city's
graceful symbol. Originally known as the Lions' Tower and the Fortress of Kalamariá,
it formed a corner of the city's Byzantine and Ottoman defences before most of the
walls were demolished late in the nineteenth century. In 1890 a Jewish prisoner was
given the task of whitewashing the tower, in exchange for his freedom, hence the new
name, which stuck, even though it is now more of a buff colour. It was restored in
1985 for the city's 2300th birthday celebrations and has since been converted into a
moderately interesting historical museum.
4
Roman remains
he
Arch of Galerius
dominates a pedestrianized square just of the eastern end of
Egnatía. Along with the nearby Rotónda (see below), it originally formed part of a
larger Roman complex which included palaces and a hippodrome. The mighty arch is
the surviving span of a dome-surmounted arcade that once led towards the palaces.
Built to commemorate the emperor's victories over the Persians in 297 AD, its piers
contain weathered reliefs of the battle scenes interspersed with glorified poses of
Galerius himself. The well-displayed remains of
Galerius's palace
can be viewed, below
the modern street level, along pedestrianized Dhimitríou Goúnari towards its southern
extension, Platía Navarínou.
Rotónda (Áyios Yeóryios)
Platía Ayíou Yeoryíou • Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm • Free •
T
2310 968 860
North of the great arch, the
Rotónda
, later converted into the church of
Áyios Yeóryios
,
is the most striking single Roman monument in the city. It was designed, but never
used, as an imperial mausoleum, possibly for Galerius himself. Consecrated for
Christian use in the late fourth century, by the addition of a sanctuary, an apse, a
narthex and rich mosaics, it later became one of the city's major mosques, from which
period the minaret remains. The cavernous interior is stark but some of the stunning
mosaics remain in place.
