Tour eighteen Byzantine churches-monuments (Saint Demetrius, Handcrafted, Saint David,
Saint Sophia, Our Lady of Chalkea, Saint Catherine, Saint Apostles, Saint Nicholas the
Orphan, Saint Panteleimon, Prophet Elias, Vlattaden Monastery, Panmegisto Taxiarches,
Transfiguration of the Savior, Agios Minas, Panagia Lagoudiani, Ypapanti, Panagouda, Rotonda)
and get to know the Byzantine and Christian history of Thessaloniki. These early Christian
and Byzantine monuments that have survived to this day represent the culture and art of
Byzantium through time.
The transfer of the Roman Empire to Byzantium will contribute to the further
prominence of Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki becomes a co-regent and is called "Megaloupolis"
now occupying the position of the next city of the Empire after Constantinople, being
the center of intellectual and artistic production in the Balkans. In Thessaloniki,
Emperor Theodosius the Great embraced Christianity where he also issued the imperial
decree defining Christianity as the official religion of the state. Since then,
Thessaloniki will play an important role in the historical developments of the
Byzantine era.
