What I can see

This is the only surviving early-Christian basilica in the city and the entire Eastern Mediterranean, which is preserved in its original 5^th century AD form. It is also the first church of the city that was turned into a mosque during the Ottoman period, commemorated by an inscription in Arabic on one of its columns: “Sultan Murat Khan conquered the city of Thessaloniki, year (Egira) 883 ”, ie in 1430. Achiropiitos (=miraculous) has a wooden roof. Its aisles are separated by marble colonnades, which lead to the sanctuary. The central aisle is 14.2 metres long and the church’s dimensions are 52 x 31m. At each end, one can see the baptistery and the post-Byzantine chapel of Saint Irene. The baptistery is today used as a chapel of Saint Paraskevi. Only some mosaics of the interior arches of the ground floor and the upper floor, full of floral, geometric and religious motifs, survive. The only preserved mosaics are those of the internal surfaces of the colonnades, which are full of decorative and religious motifs. The artistic value of these mosaics confirms the existence of significant artistic workshops in the city during that time. Most of the frescoes were destroyed when it was converted into a mosque. Only a few figures of military saits from the Frankish Era (around 1200- 1225) have been preserved in good condition on the south wall. Parts of other frescoes are also preserved in the chapel of Saint Irene and in the drums of the southern propylon of the basilica, but in a rather bad condition.

What I can't see

The church was built on top of Roman baths and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was first recorded with the name “Our Lady Achiropiitos” in a 1320 document. The name “Achiropiitos” comes from the icon of the Virgin Achiropiitos, which was believed it was created by a miracle. During the Ottoman Era, this was the official Turkish mosque and was called “Eski Mosque” or “Cuma”. Christians referred to it as the church of the Great Lady or Agia (=Saint) Paraskevi. During World War I, the church hosted refugee families and later reopened as a Christian church.

Info

• Address: 56 Agias Sophias St.

Bibliography