hellenic-macedonia:Byzantine Thessaloniki, MacedoniaGreeceUnesco World Culture HeritageThe Panagia C
hellenic-macedonia:Byzantine Thessaloniki, MacedoniaGreeceUnesco World Culture HeritageThe Panagia Chalkeon is one of Thessaloniki’s jewels. It was built in 1208 on the site of an ancient temple of Hephaestus in the Coppersmith’s Arcade in the Ancient Agora of Thessaloniki, close to Egnatia street. Then, as now, this was the area where the coppersmiths had their workshops and hence the name. It is charming, small, brick, domed cruciform Byzantine church with skilful decorative elements. The tomb of the church’s founder lies inside: “Christoforos the most glorious royal premier swordsman…”. Only a few of the frescoes (11th and 14th century) inside the church have been preserved, since this church too was turned into a mosque under the Turks. The fresco in the cupola depicts the Ascension of Christ with prophets and angels. -- source link
#greece#europe#cities#thessaloniki#macedonia