Thessaloniki…
We thank Municipal Television of Thessaloniki TV100
Thessaloniki, apart from being a gem on the Thermaic Gulf, the co-capital of Greece and an important cultural and commercial center of the Balkans, is also a modern metropolis. From antiquity to the present, its history is rich and passes through almost all the important periods of the region.
Thessaloniki is characterized by many things, but its main characteristic is its multiculturalism. Its different origins, opinions and cultures are captured in every kind of activity that makes it a highly “vibrant” city. It has been and continues to be the birthplace of great musicians, poets, actors and various other artists in the country and remains a true core of creativity and artistic expression. In 1997, it was chosen as European Capital of Culture, and, in 2014, it was awarded the title of “Youth Capital of Culture”. The Municipality of Thessaloniki supports every cultural effort and innovation. In this way, it enhances the actions of the city’s people, giving space to new ideas that are born every day.
Thessaloniki stands out for the intense sociality of its inhabitants, extroversion and relaxed rhythms of life. Food is undoubtedly one of its strongest elements. Perhaps it is also the gourmet capital of the country. Here, you will find elegant restaurants, mouth-watering street food and even thematic food festivals. You can taste all the traditional and Asian Minor flavors along with the modern gastronomic trends from all over the world.
Thessaloniki also hosts major festivals every year, such as Thessaloniki International Film Festival, trade fairs at the “Thessaloniki International Fair” and countless other events. With two large academic institutions in the center, the “Aristotle University of Thessaloniki” and the “University of Macedonia”, it has a strong impact on academic research.
It is a city to explore. You can find yourself walking in any part of it in just 30 minutes. And the only sure thing is that you will want to explore it, since its cultural treasures from the Roman and Ottoman times are endless and dazzling. You have the opportunity to visit archaeological sites, monuments and museums of Byzantine and modern art and be at one of the most popular meeting points of the city’s inhabitants. The harbor, Aristotelous Square, Kamara, Hagia Sophia and the White Tower are just some of them.
The picturesque neighborhoods of Upper City, the cultural events of the western suburbs, such as the Festival of Moni Lazariston, and the quick access to the nearby beaches of Halkidiki do not let anyone run out of activity. It is not an exaggeration to claim Thessaloniki as a perfect destination
The history of the city
The city of Thessaloniki for more than 2,300 years has been writing its own history in SE Europe, playing a special role in the successive empires. From its establishment, it will be associated with the royal dynasty of the ancient Macedonians, bearing the name of Alexander the Great’s sister, and in the centuries that will follow, will ensure a leading role as a commercial, military and economic center because of its privileged position at the crossroads of the East and West. After the Roman conquest of Macedonia, it will be developed into the second most important city of the imperial empire, and then it will remain the second city in the Empire after Constantinople, both in terms of wealth and size. Even after its occupation by the Ottomans, it will retain the position of the second most important city of the Ottoman Empire.
Shortly before the dawn of the 20th century and the gradual decline of the formerly Ottoman Empire, the city will enter into a modernization orbit and will begin to turn from an oriental city into a European city. The development of the rail network will unite it with the Balkans and Central Europe and its harbor will compete with the then important ports of the time, Venice, Livorno, Marseille, Alexandria, making it the important hub of transit trade.
Apart from its economic importance, the city has, for many centuries, maintained a special multicultural character. For centuries, Christians, Muslims and Jews coexisted, while the city’s multinational mosaic was complemented by Armenians, Franks and people of the Balkans, such as Bulgarians, Serbs, Romanians, etc. The streets of Thessaloniki were full of people speaking different languages, cultures and customs, they followed different dressing and habits. The twilight changes of the 20th century have changed the city’s physiognomy, turning it into a vibrant urban center, but Thessaloniki of the 21st century is still the second most important city in the Greek state, a new crossroads of trade and innovation, a city open to different and new pioneering ideas.
