The Church of St. Demetrios, known in Greek simply as "Agios Dimitrios", is one of the main Orthodox churches in Thessaloniki.
Although its size may make it look more like a country church, the fact that it is dedicated to the main patron saint of Thessaloniki adds to its importance.
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The main treasures of the church are hidden behind its walls, so a visit to the interior should definitely not be missed.
The present basilica was built on the foundations of a Roman bath between 629 and 634, and much of the form of that time has been preserved to this day. The Basilica of St. Demetrius is a more important church to the local faithful than the main Hagia Sophia.
It is thus a matter of course that the basilica shares a place on the UNESCO list along with other ancient and Byzantine monuments in Thessaloniki.
The Golden Mosaics and the Crypt of St. Dimitrios
Although the basilica doesn't look particularly monumental from the outside, the interior will amaze you with its spaciousness and also beautiful decoration. The marble columns with Corinthian capitals divide the space into three naves, but the main one is undoubtedly the golden mosaics depicting the life of St. Dimitrios, which are among the most beautiful in all of Greece.
The most sacred place for the faithful, however, is the underground crypt created where St. Dimitrios died after a long torture after he converted to the Christian faith as a soldier in the Roman army.
The crypt is particularly impressive for its baptismal font with marble columns, but also for the exposed foundations of the Roman baths on which the church was built. The sarcophagus with the remains of St Demetrius can be found in the main nave of the church.
Admission and opening hours
The temple is open to the public every day from 6:00-22:00.
Entrance to the nave and the crypt is free.
How to get to the Basilica?
The church stands between the Roman Forum and the Ano Poli district and is about 15 minutes on foot from the promenade.
Directly in front of the church, or up the street, there is a bus stop for lines 23 (towards the centre and the promenade and the walls), or 16 and 22, which go around the surrounding neighbourhoods. A special tourist bus on line 50 also stops here.
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