If you’re traveling to Greece, you’ll almost certainly start in Athens. It’s the nation’s capital and most populous city, a thriving metropolis where modern art and culture sit side by side with some of the ancient world’s most treasured archaeological sites. It’s known as the cradle of Western civilization for a reason, and there’s no better place to kick off a trip to Greece.

From there, many travelers are drawn both south, to the impossibly picturesque isles of Santorini and the Mediterranean; and west, to the Peloponnese and its ancient and legendary destinations of Corinth, Mycenae, and Nafplion, among others. It’s a wonderful itinerary, and one we follow on our popular Ancient Greece small group tour.

But seasoned travelers know that Greece is much more than just its capital and islands. Head north from Athens, hug the Aegean Sea, and eventually you’ll reach Thessaloniki–Greece’s co-capital, a coastal crossroads of the ancient world, and a city so rich with archaeological wealth that millennia-old artifacts are literally falling out of the garbage.

Read on to discover the three eras, and nearly 2,500 years of history, that make up this fascinating city, which we visit on our Journey Through Greece tour.

Early History: Alexander the Great and the Splintering of Macedonia

A statue of Alexander the Great presides over the Thessaloniki waterfront promenade. Image Source

After establishing perhaps history’s most impressive empire, Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BCE. Thessaloniki was founded seven years later by King Cassander of Macedon, one of the rulers struggling for power in the vacuum left by Alexander’s death. In addition to military might and a keen strategic mind, Cassander had a unique advantage in the form of his wife: Thessalonike, the daughter of King Philip II of Macedon… and Alexander the Great’s half-sister.

Ten years after founding the city, Cassander became the king of Macedonia, a position he held until his death in 297 BCE. It would take just over a century, but his kingdom, along with much of his relative Alexander’s former empire, would fall to the Romans in 168 BCE. We see artifacts, coins, and sculptures from the reign of Cassander during our exploration of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, a reminder of the city’s onetime place near the center of the world stage.

Fun fact: Those with knowledge of Greek (or a passion for sportswear) may recognize the suffix of the name, -nike, as the Greek word for “victory.” Indeed, Philip II named his daughter after a famous military victory he won in Thessaly.

Roman Period: Christianity and the Byzantine Empire

The 4th-century Rotonda built by Galerius. Image Source

Rome’s eastward expansion saw Thessaloniki (called Thessalonica under Roman rule) become the capital of the province of Macedonia, a key trade stop on the route from Rome to Byzantium (present-day Istanbul). In the first centuries of the Common Era, it also became one of the most significant early centers of Christianity. Paul the Apostle made several journeys to Thessalonica, and his two Epistles to the Thessalonians are said to be two of the earliest books of the New Testament.

The ruler to remember from this period is Galerius, Rome’s chief official under emperor Diocletian. He expanded Rome’s empire by defeating the Persians in 298 CE, inspiring the reliefs carved on the massive stone Rotonda of Thessalonica, a UNESCO site which we visit during our touring. Galerius stood staunchly against Christianity–even putting to death a Christian named Demetrius who then became the city’s patron saint–but less than a century after his death, the empire announced the Edict of Thessalonica, ushering in Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

After the fall of Rome in 476, Thessalonica enjoyed nearly a millennium as the Eastern Roman Empire’s second most significant city. Trade and culture flourished, but as with important port cities throughout history, conflict was never far behind.

Ancient and modern sit side-by-side in Thessaloniki. Image Source

Ottoman Period: the Jewish ‘Golden Age’

The White Tower of Thessaloniki, built by the Ottomans in the 15th century. Image Source

The Ottomans sacked and claimed Thessalonica in 1430. Despite this bloody beginning,the five centuries of Ottoman and Turkish rule in Thessalonik ushered in an era of unprecedented tolerance. Around the turn of the 16th century, some 20,000 Sephardic Jews immigrated to Greece after being expelled by Spain via the Alhambra Decree. Thessaloniki became the main port of call for these refugees, and before long, a thriving Jewish population flourished in the city. 

Many of Thessaloniki’s tradespeople were Jewish, and by the 16th century, Thessaloniki boasted the largest Jewish population of any city in the world. More than 50% of its residents practiced Judaism, making it the only city in Europe with a Jewish-majority population. Although the most visible landmark from this period is the Ottoman White Tower, the 100-foot-tall coastal fortification built soon after the Ottomans sacked the city, this period in the city’s history will always be known for the golden age of its Jewish populace.

The city’s three distinct eras still stand in plain view as you tour the city today. From the acclaimed Archaeological Museum, to the centrally located Rotonda, to the iconic White Tower and beyond, Thessaloniki’s history blends seamlessly with its cosmopolitan present. Join us on our Journey Through Greece small group tour, and discover a city that has long held an outsized place on the Mediterranean stage.