Did You Know?
• Thessaloniki was founded around 315 B.C. and it was the wedding present of King Cassander of Macedon to his wife, princess Thessaloniki, half-sister of Alexander the Great.
• Thessaloniki’s Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Thessaloniki was also capital of Greece, together with Athens from September 26th, 1916 to June 14th, 1917.
• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the republic of Turkey and its first president lived his school years in Thessaloniki as he was born in a village near Thessaloniki
• The White Tower – emblem of Thessaloniki, was called “Blood tower”, as it was a prison and an execution area. A prisoner whitewashed the Tower in 1890 in return for his freedom.
• The church of Agia Sofia of Thessaloniki is a miniature of the Agia Sofia in Istanbul? It was build during 7th – 8th century in the position of the huge (165x50m – 8250sq.m.) church of St. Marcus that collapsed in the 6th century earthquakes.
• From the mid-16th century until the first decades of 19th century, Thessaloniki became “Second Jerusalem”, “Mother of Israel” and an important spiritual centre for the world's Jewry, as the Jews made up 30 to 50% of Thessaloniki population.
• The Byzantine Culture Museum of Thessaloniki was awarded the 2005 Council of Europe's Museum Prize.
Thessaloniki Urban Adventures is a family-run business, driven from our passion for Thessaloniki, Greece, culture and local life! We love exploring the city and surrounding countryside (mostly on our motorcycle) and come close to nature and people!
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Wherever we go in the world, we take a responsible attitude with us. That means travelling in a way which both respects and benefits local people, their culture, their economy, and their environment. Please read on for more information on our Responsible Travel policy and how you can be a responsible traveller for your entire journey.
