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LOCAL HISTORY OF THESSALONIKI |
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| .....Within
the programme of Learning the Local History of Thessaloniki, the students
of our school have gone on two visits: to the Forum and the Byzantine
monuments of our city. Mr Adam Ioannidis, headmaster of the 2nd Primary school, carried out the task of the guide. We would like to give our warmest thanks to him for the whole co-ordination of the programme as well as for the photographs he has provided us with. |
<<The Ancient
Forum>> |
| ....In
ancient years the Ancient Forum was the administrative centre of ancient
Thessaloniki. Citizens used to spend there most part of the day. It occupied
a rather big area and it was constructed during the Roman conquest around
the 2nd century A.D. and the dawn of the 3rd century. During the Byzantine period and mainly during the Turkish domination, the buildings were abandoned and reduced to ruins due to earthquakes and other causes and therefore flattened by earth. |
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....In
our century, this place was considered to be suitable to build the Courts
of Law on. Luckily, thanks to the archaeologists' great efforts, this
plan didn't come to fruition. A great part of the Forum was brought to
light thanks to continuous and systematic excavations. |
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<<The Byzantine
Walls>> |
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....These walls were constructed at the end of the 4th century A.D. in the reign of Theodosius the Great in the Byzantine state. |
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| ....Ormisdas,
a Persian in origin general, was the person in charge of this construction.
On the eastern walls, near the hospital 'St. Dimitrios', there is a sign
in ancient Greek with the general's name: "TEIHESIN ARRIKTOIS ORMISDAS EXETELESE..." |
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....The
materials, which were used as well as the way that the towers, the gates
and the battlements were constructed, were subject to thorough studies.
The students having reached the Tower of Alissos could see the gulf of Thermaikos and had a panoramic view of the whole city of Thessaloniki. |
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