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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 The eastern walls | |
 Interactive map of Walls of Thessaloniki | |
| Location | Thessaloniki, Greece |
| Part of | Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iv |
| Reference | 456-002 |
| Inscription | 1988 (12thSession) |
| Coordinates | 40°38′33″N22°57′16″E / 40.64250°N 22.95444°E /40.64250; 22.95444 |
  Walls of Thessaloniki Location of Walls of Thessaloniki in Greece | |
TheWalls of Thessaloniki (Greek:Τείχη της Θεσσαλονίκης,Teíchi tis Thessaloníkis) are the 4 kilometer-longcity walls surrounding the city ofThessaloniki during theMiddle Ages and until the late 19th century, when large parts of the walls, including the entire seaward section, were demolished as part of theOttoman authorities' restructuring of Thessaloniki's urban fabric. The city was fortified from its establishment in the late 4th century BC, but the present walls date from the earlyByzantine period, ca. 390, and incorporate parts of an earlier, late 3rd-century wall. The walls consist of the typical late Roman mixed construction ofashlar masonry alternating with bands ofbrick. The northern part of the walls adjoins theacropolis of the city, which formed a separate fortifiedenceinte, and within it lies another citadel, theHeptapyrgion (Seven Towers), popularly known by the Ottoman translation of the name,Yedi Kule.
In 1988, as part of thePaleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, the walls were added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage List because of their outstandingByzantine architecture.[1]
The first fortification of the newly built city ofCassander, which played an important role, dates back to the 3rd century BC. TheRoman conquest (167 BC), which brought Roman peace, made the walls weak, so around the middle of the 1st century they were already in ruins.[2]
In the 3rd century, fortifications were built to protect the city from theGoths with materials from previous buildings. With these fortifications, two Gothic attacks were repelled, in 254 and 268. The Roman wall was 1.65 m wide, with square towers.[2] The main street of the city (Leoforos or Mesi) extended from the Golden Gate in the west (Vardario Square) to the Cassandreot Gate in the east. The southern wall extended somewhat further south of today'sTsimiski avenue.
At the beginning of the 4th century,Galerius andConstantine the Great passed throughThessaloniki and strengthened the walls. At the end of the 4th century, a second wall was built outside the previous one with triangular projections. The wall visible today was built from the end of the 4th to the middle of the 5th century,[3] while a subsequent improvement program was implemented in the 7th century onHeraklion in order to support the defense of the city against theAvars and theSlavs. In 904 the city was captured by theSaracens by an attack from the sea side, which led to the sea walls being strengthened after the departure of the Saracens.
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Media related toWalls of Thessaloniki at Wikimedia CommonsLandmarks ofThessaloniki | ||
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| Macedonian period |
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| Paleochristian and Byzantine | ||
| Ottoman period | ||
| Modern period | ||
| Jewish sites | ||
| Streets | ||
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