Holy Church of Saint Demetrius

The Basilica of Agios Dimitrios is dedicated to St Demetrius, the soldier-martyr and patron saint of Thessaloniki, and stands on the spot where tradition places his martyrdom. The first church was built in the 5th century and rebuilt in the 7th; the Great Fire of 1917 gutted it, and what you see is a careful mid-20th-century restoration that kept the surviving columns and a precious handful of early mosaics.

It is part of the city's UNESCO-listed Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments. Look for the mosaic panels of the saint with children and with the church's founders on the piers near the sanctuary, then go down into the crypt, where Roman remains and a small exhibition survive. It is a busy place of worship, so dress modestly and keep quiet during services.