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Thessaloniki in Greece


 


In the Upper Town of Thessaloniki on the steep mountain slopes at a height of 130 meters stands the monastery of Vlatadon. It is situated in a very colorful place - from its courtyard you can enjoy the most beautiful view of the city and the vast sea, above which in clear weather you can see the outlines of the majestic Olympus. Peacocks have been living in the monastery courtyard for a long time and have become something of a trademark of Vlatadon.


The history of the monastery is associated with the name of the Apostle Paul during his stay in Thessaloniki. According to one tradition the monastery was built on the site where St. Paul preached, and according to another it was the location of the house in which the Apostle stayed and in whose courtyard he prayed.


The main temple of this monastery was erected between 1351 and 1354, thanks to the patronage of Empress Anna (Savoy) Palaeologus, and was dedicated to Almighty Christ.


The political situation of the time called for the cultivation of religiosity among all strata of the population, and this helped the internal strengthening of Byzantium. After her marriage, Anna converted to Orthodoxy, but contemporaries doubted her sincerity and many preferred to think that she remained devoted to Catholicism.


The monastery itself belongs to the Byzantine era and was named in honor of the brothers Mark and Dorotheos Vlatades, monks, Cretan scholars and followers of St. Gregory Palamas. After a while it gained considerable popularity, and it had many sub-villages in various parts of the city and its surroundings. The fame of the monastery reached Russia as well. Thus the Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas I) sent luxurious gifts there with a request to consecrate her palace.


The Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport is constantly expanding and modernizing. In 2000 was the last reconstruction, after which there were new waiting rooms.


Tips for travelers


We recommend that you print out a confirmation of your flight and lodging reservations. Quite often security officers of the host country ask to see guarantees of accommodation and return;


For international flights familiarize yourself with the customs regulations for importing goods. What is allowed in our country may be prohibited in another;


pack your bags 2-3 days before departure. In addition you can make a list of everything you need, so as not to forget anything from items and documents;


We recommend that you arrive at the airport 2-3 hours in advance include Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport.Then you will have enough time to get acquainted with the airport system and go through all the necessary steps before your flight.


The Ottomans after the conquest of Greece did not destroy the monastery, turning it into a mosque Chavush, which flourished for a long time. There is a legend that when the Turks conquered the city in exchange for keeping the monastery intact, the local monks played the role of a kind of "Trojan horse" of Sultan Murad II, showing him the place of the passage of the water pipe and the way of the water supply to Thessaloniki.


However, analyzing the facts, historians deny its authenticity and believe that in fact the monks remained loyal to their state. The way the temple was built with the support of the dome in the sanctuary without pillars is of particular architectural interest, as it was characteristic only for Greek temples of IX-XII centuries. In the temple of the Transfiguration there is a small chapel dedicated to Peter and Paul.


It belongs to the original building of the monastery, its oldest part. The monastery interior has preserved wall frescoes that date from 1360-1380 and were created by Thessaloniki masters and were preserved in their original form until the taking of the city by the Turks. Today there are almost no original frescoes left in the monastery - they were all damaged during the Ottoman period. In the domed part of the temple, next to the angels depicts Christ Pantocrator, on the walls and arches there are images of festive scenes of Christmas, Baptism, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, as well as saints and prophets.


In the temple there is a feeling of a boundless starry sky, because the pattern of frescoes is made on a dark background. On the territory of Vlatadon today operates the Patriarchal Institute of Patriarchal Studies, keeps rare church manuscripts, a museum, which contains a considerable collection of rare icons from the Byzantine era, a not very large, but very interesting library and other church treasures.


The monastery treasury contains the relics of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Modestos, St. Athanasius the Great, the Hymenopterans Cosmas and Damian and other precious relics. The significant role of Thessalonica in the whole Balkan art is indicated by the use in the church paintings of the favorite themes of the Serbian iconography - St. Clement of Ohrid and St. George the Faster.


The reason for this is the friendly relations with Thessaloniki and with the family of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II, the 54-year-old Serbian king Milutin Nemanjić after his marriage to the emperor's 9-year-old daughter Simonida.


 


In the VI-VII centuries the Slavs and Goths tried to seize Salonika several times to no avail. In 904 the city was conquered by the Saracens and 22 thousand natives were taken into captivity.



  • In 995 the city was briefly taken by the Bulgarians.

  • In 1185 Salonika was conquered and sacked by the Sicilian Normans.

  • Since 1206 Salonika is the capital of the Thessaloniki Kingdom, the country that existed as part of the Latin Empire.

  • In 1224 the king of Epirus Theodore I Duki takes back the city from the Latins.

  • In 1246 Thessaloniki was conquered by the Nicaea Emperor John III Duka Vatace.

  • From 1342 to 1349 the city was ruled by the Zealots.


In 1383-1387 under the rule of Manuel II the inhabitants of Salonika valiantly defended the city from the Turks besieging it, but in 1387 the city fell.


From 1387 to 1402 Salonika was under Ottoman rule. After their defeat by Tamerlane the city returned to Byzantium.

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Thessaloniki in Greece

Published on Aug 11, 2021

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Thessaloniki in Greece

Thessaloniki in Greece

Thessaloniki in Greece


 


In the Upper Town of Thessaloniki on the steep mountain slopes at a height of 130 meters stands the monastery of Vlatadon. It is situated in a very colorful place - from its courtyard you can enjoy the most beautiful view of the city and the vast sea, above which in clear weather you can see the outlines of the majestic Olympus. Peacocks have been living in the monastery courtyard for a long time and have become something of a trademark of Vlatadon.


The history of the monastery is associated with the name of the Apostle Paul during his stay in Thessaloniki. According to one tradition the monastery was built on the site where St. Paul preached, and according to another it was the location of the house in which the Apostle stayed and in whose courtyard he prayed.


The main temple of this monastery was erected between 1351 and 1354, thanks to the patronage of Empress Anna (Savoy) Palaeologus, and was dedicated to Almighty Christ.


The political situation of the time called for the cultivation of religiosity among all strata of the population, and this helped the internal strengthening of Byzantium. After her marriage, Anna converted to Orthodoxy, but contemporaries doubted her sincerity and many preferred to think that she remained devoted to Catholicism.


The monastery itself belongs to the Byzantine era and was named in honor of the brothers Mark and Dorotheos Vlatades, monks, Cretan scholars and followers of St. Gregory Palamas. After a while it gained considerable popularity, and it had many sub-villages in various parts of the city and its surroundings. The fame of the monastery reached Russia as well. Thus the Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas I) sent luxurious gifts there with a request to consecrate her palace.


The Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport is constantly expanding and modernizing. In 2000 was the last reconstruction, after which there were new waiting rooms.


Tips for travelers


We recommend that you print out a confirmation of your flight and lodging reservations. Quite often security officers of the host country ask to see guarantees of accommodation and return;


For international flights familiarize yourself with the customs regulations for importing goods. What is allowed in our country may be prohibited in another;


pack your bags 2-3 days before departure. In addition you can make a list of everything you need, so as not to forget anything from items and documents;


We recommend that you arrive at the airport 2-3 hours in advance include Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport.Then you will have enough time to get acquainted with the airport system and go through all the necessary steps before your flight.


The Ottomans after the conquest of Greece did not destroy the monastery, turning it into a mosque Chavush, which flourished for a long time. There is a legend that when the Turks conquered the city in exchange for keeping the monastery intact, the local monks played the role of a kind of "Trojan horse" of Sultan Murad II, showing him the place of the passage of the water pipe and the way of the water supply to Thessaloniki.


However, analyzing the facts, historians deny its authenticity and believe that in fact the monks remained loyal to their state. The way the temple was built with the support of the dome in the sanctuary without pillars is of particular architectural interest, as it was characteristic only for Greek temples of IX-XII centuries. In the temple of the Transfiguration there is a small chapel dedicated to Peter and Paul.


It belongs to the original building of the monastery, its oldest part. The monastery interior has preserved wall frescoes that date from 1360-1380 and were created by Thessaloniki masters and were preserved in their original form until the taking of the city by the Turks. Today there are almost no original frescoes left in the monastery - they were all damaged during the Ottoman period. In the domed part of the temple, next to the angels depicts Christ Pantocrator, on the walls and arches there are images of festive scenes of Christmas, Baptism, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, as well as saints and prophets.


In the temple there is a feeling of a boundless starry sky, because the pattern of frescoes is made on a dark background. On the territory of Vlatadon today operates the Patriarchal Institute of Patriarchal Studies, keeps rare church manuscripts, a museum, which contains a considerable collection of rare icons from the Byzantine era, a not very large, but very interesting library and other church treasures.


The monastery treasury contains the relics of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Modestos, St. Athanasius the Great, the Hymenopterans Cosmas and Damian and other precious relics. The significant role of Thessalonica in the whole Balkan art is indicated by the use in the church paintings of the favorite themes of the Serbian iconography - St. Clement of Ohrid and St. George the Faster.


The reason for this is the friendly relations with Thessaloniki and with the family of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II, the 54-year-old Serbian king Milutin Nemanjić after his marriage to the emperor's 9-year-old daughter Simonida.


 


In the VI-VII centuries the Slavs and Goths tried to seize Salonika several times to no avail. In 904 the city was conquered by the Saracens and 22 thousand natives were taken into captivity.



  • In 995 the city was briefly taken by the Bulgarians.

  • In 1185 Salonika was conquered and sacked by the Sicilian Normans.

  • Since 1206 Salonika is the capital of the Thessaloniki Kingdom, the country that existed as part of the Latin Empire.

  • In 1224 the king of Epirus Theodore I Duki takes back the city from the Latins.

  • In 1246 Thessaloniki was conquered by the Nicaea Emperor John III Duka Vatace.

  • From 1342 to 1349 the city was ruled by the Zealots.


In 1383-1387 under the rule of Manuel II the inhabitants of Salonika valiantly defended the city from the Turks besieging it, but in 1387 the city fell.


From 1387 to 1402 Salonika was under Ottoman rule. After their defeat by Tamerlane the city returned to Byzantium.

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