Travelling

Thessaloniki, Greece: Saint David the Dendrites

Thessaloniki in Northern Greece is an amazing city for a stroll but some streets stand out more than others. I am talking about the charming walkways of Ano Poli or Upper Town or Old Town, the only part of the city that survived the fire of 1917. Here you will discover a different and beautiful Thessaloniki which, like strong nostalgia, will travel you back to the city’s Byzantine past.

Take a stroll in the charming stone paved narrow streets, among the small picturesque houses, with the breathtaking panoramic view of the new city below and the sea at its feet,and before you know it you will find yourself at MONI LATOMOY, a monastery dedicated to Saint David the Dentrite, a mid 5th to mid 6th century pious anachorite who lived in a tree.IMG_4221

This monastery is one of the most important monuments of Thessaloniki Greece and has three magnificent peculiarities.

The first one is the architecture of the 5th century church, which is cruciform in style with a dome. This architectural style, having the shape of a cross, reappeared 500 years later when it became well established and more prevalent

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The second main characteristic of the church is the unique mosaic that in the niche of the sanctuary. Crafted in the 5th century, it is one of the oldest of its kind in Thessaloniki that has survived to this day literally by a miracle, and one must definitely come and admire.36841783_2581691955388294_6477983912814444544_o

The third important particularity of the church is the extraordinary wall hagiography, or rather the few remaining specimens of it, dating back to the 12th century when the Komnenian art style prevailed. These wall icons were revealed in 1973 and are the only instances of the religious art of this period surviving in Thessaloniki.

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Those wishing to venerate the holy relics of Saint David the Dendrites, however, will not be able to do so at the Latomou Monastery but will have to visit the Monastery of Saint Theodora, in Ermou Street at the city center.

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