The Monkey takes a moment for repose in the plaza in front of the Basilica of Ayios Dhimitrios. The modern facade belies ancient origins. The church is dedicated to Thessaloniki's patron saint, and rests on foundations and a crypt that date to the 5th Century. Damaged extensively in the 1917 fire that leveled large parts of Salonika, much of the church is a modern reconstruction that maintains a certain harmony with the aesthetics of old. Despite outward appearances here, it is also the largest basilica in Greece.
The Monkey visits one of the buildings that helps explain the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Ottoman era Salonika. In this house in 1881 was born Mustafa Kemal, the future forger of the modern Turkish state (then known as Atatürk). Today, the house is operated by the Turkish Consulate and receives hordes of visitors from Turkey eager to tour Atatürk's childhood home and see some of his personal effects.
In central Thessaloniki, by the Via Egnatia (an ancient Roman road that survives as a modern boulevard), the Monkey paused for a photo by the Panayia Halkeon church. The small church is typically Byzantine, and its age is apparent when one considers how far below modern street level it lies. In Greece, like other countries built atop ancient civilizations, one often wonders what else is below the ground one walks on. Aside from the heat, Pithikos enjoyed his stay in Greece, and looks forward to returning (in the winter!).
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