Originally built as a centrally planned building on the axis of the monumental street connecting the triumphal arch of Galerius with the palace complex. There are varying opinions on its use, such as being a temple of Zeus or the Cabeiri, a building of a possibly devotional and secular-administrative character that served the needs of the palace complex, or a monument dedicated to the glory of Constantine the Great. The monument, with a diameter of 24.50m is covered by a bricked dome, reaching a height of 29.80m. The 6.30m-thick cylindrical wall internally inscribes eight rectangular niches, the south niches serving as the main entrance.

The building was converted into a Christian church, possibly dedicated to the Aghioi Asomatoi or the Archangels, during the Early Christian era. A gallery was added along its perimeter and in order to communicate with the original core, seven of the eight niches along the walls were demolished, the eastern niches being expanded with the addition of a sanctuary, a new entrance with a narthex being created at the western niches and a propylon and two chapels being added at the south entrance. However, the most magnificent remains from the Early Christian stage of the monument are its excellent mosaics that decorate the arches of the niches and the intrados of the windows, while the glorious decor reaches its climax with the mosaics of the dome in three zones. Earthquakes in the early 7th century caused the destruction of the sanctuary’s arch, the section above the dome and, possibly, the gallery. After being restored, the arch was externally strengthened with two buttresses and was decorated in the 9th century with a mural of the Ascension.

After its temporary housing at Yeni Camii, the museum acquired a permanent home at the building designed by Patroklos Karantinos. An important representative of modernism, he was inspired by the introversion of the Greek home. The museum houses occasional and permanent exhibitions on the region of Macedonia from the prehistoric era to late antiquity.

Situated on the Aghiou Dimitriou Street, north of the ancient Agora and the Byzantine Megalophoros, built on the ruins of a Roman bath complex, this was where Demetrius, an officer in the Roman Army, was imprisoned and martyred in 303. A small private chapel was first built there. In the mid-5th century, Leontius, prefect of Illyricum, erect a large basilica at the same location, which burned down during the earthquake of 620. With the contribution of Prefect Leontius and the Bishop of Thessaloniki, the basilica was restored to its original form of a five-aisled wooden-roofed basilica with a transept and gallery. The present-day restored form of the church – which was destroyed almost completely in the fire of 1917 – is the result of extensive restoration works that began in 1918 and ended in 1948.
The tomb of the saint is located in the NW corner, where it was believed to have stood in the Early-Christian era. The church, dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki, is a pilgrim church and is primarily renowned for its mosaics that survived the great fire of 1917. Eleven votive mosaics of the 5th, 7th and 9th century are preserved at the two pillars of the sanctuary and at the western wall of the central aisle.

This church, dedicated to Christ, the true Word and Wisdom of God, was built in the late 7th – early 8th century at the location of a large 5th century Early Christian Basilica. It is a typical example of a domed transitional cruciform church with ambulatory, in imitation of the Aghia Sophia in Istanbul. The mosaic decoration in its interior, a work of three stages, testifies to the high intellectual and artistic level of the city throughout the centuries. The decoration of the sanctuary is one of the most important precisely dated paintings of the Iconomachy period (780-788). The Ascension depicted on the dome is a superb example of the so-called Renaissance of the Macedonian Emperors in the late 9th century, while the Virgin Enthroned with Christ in the apse, a work of the 11th – 12th century, covered the great cross of the Iconomachy period.

Constructed to commemorate the victory of Galerius over the Persians. Its intricate relief scenes depict battles and victories in that war, expressing the omnipotence and unity of the Tetrarchy leaders.

Junction of Olympou Street & Filippou Street.

An administrative centre of the Roman era that, in its excavated form, began being organised in the mid-2nd century AD. The entire complex was organised around a rectangular cobbled square. On its three sides, there were two-storey arcades, with a double colonnade of the Corinthian order, directly connected on its perimeter to public and private spaces

The creation of the square was planned after the great fire of 1917 that destroyed the centre of Thessaloniki. A historic and vital part of the city, it served as the central axis of the redesign of the city by Ernest Hébrard. The architecture of building facades is inspired by European or colonial models, as well as Neo-Byzantine tendencies in the individual decor of buildings. It is a rare example of implementation of scheduled architecture. The buildings were constructed from 1930 to 1960. Thanks to its orientation, the square enjoys an enchanting view of Mt Olympus. The square is home to numerous points of reference of the city, including Electra Palace Hotel and Olympion Cinema, headquarters of the International Film Festival.

This area was the Byzantine port of Thessaloniki. During the period of Ottoman rule, it was embanked and, under the name Istira, was the city’s centre of wholesale trade. The Ladadika quarter was named from the wholesale trade of oil and was spared from the devastating fire of 1917, retaining the character and memories of the late-19th century market. Different types of buildings and styles compose an image of the city’s architecture and street planning out of the past. Today, the area remains vibrant, as it is home to numerous offices, restaurants and cafés.