What I can see

The Monastiriotes Synagogue is the official synagogue of the city and one out of three currently in operation. It is a two-storey basilica with central and side aisles. Above the side aisles, there is a zenana and other facilities. At the entrance, there is a three-arched opening with two marble columns. The entire facade is of great architectural significance, clearly influenced by Byzantine architecture and the synagogues of Central Europe.

What I can't see

It is the only synagogue in Thessaloniki, which has the same form as it did before the Holocaust. It was not destroyed by the Nazis because it served as a storehouse for the Red Cross. At the time, it was the centre of the Jewish ghetto. Nowadays, annual events in memory of the more than 46,000 Jews, who were killed by the Nazis, also take place here. Finally, its name comes from the religious centre of the Jewish refugees of the Balkan Wars, from the city of Monastiri (Bitola), which is now in North Macedonia.

Info

• Address: 35 Syggrou St.

Bibliography