Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece and the administrative centre
for the north. Its history dates back more than 4000 years. The city of
Thessaloniki was founded in 316 B.C. on a site of old prehistoric
settlements dating back to 2300 B.C., by Cassander, king of Macedonia,
and was named after his wife, sister of Alexander the Great.

During the Byzantine era, Salonica, as it was then known, was the
second city after Constantinople (Istanbul), remaining so until its
sacking by Saracens in 904. It was restored to the empire in 1246,
reaching a cultural €œ'Golden Age'€ until Turkish conquest and occupation
in 1430. Until just a few decades ago the city'€™s population was mixed
as any in the Balkans. Besides the Turks, who had been in occupation
for close on five centuries (and even Mustafa Kemal Pascha, today known
as Kemal Atatürk was born here), there were Slavs, Albabians and the
largest European Jewish community of the period. In World War II when
all but a fraction were deported to the concentration camps, in the
worst atrocity committed in the Balkans.

Situated on the shores of the Thermaikos Gulf, Thessaloniki is
divided in a modern area and the old town. The old town is where most
of the sights are. In the old town it will be mostly Byzantine churches
and buidlings that you are looking for. They are what Thessaloniki is
famous for. You can get glimpses of €œOld Salonica€ in the walled Kastra
quarter of the city, on the hillside beyond the modern grid of streets.
In the modern areas you will find examples of recent architecture, that
are interesting enough if you are into that kind of thing.