Thessaloniki is one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded over 300 years B.C. on a site of old prehistoric settlements going back to 2300 B.C., by Cassander, King of Macedonia, and was named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great. It is now an important commercial port with a population of 1,000,000. Situated on the shores of the Thermaikos Gulf, the town is composed of two sectors, the modern sector and the old town. While the modern areas are full of excellent examples of recent architecture, monuments remain within the city dating from Roman and Byzantine times; of the former, be sure to visit the Rotunda. From the Byzantine period, for which Thessaloniki is particularly famed, be sure to visit the churches and fine works of art that remain. Thessaloniki City Facts
Thessaloniki Population: 824,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Greece Population: 10,978,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Currency: Euro
Time Zone: GMT + 2 hours
Language: Greek |
