Old Metropolis, Veria, Byzantine church in Veria, Greece

The Old Metropolis is a three-aisled basilica with timber roofing and ranks among the largest mid-Byzantine religious buildings in the Balkans. The structure displays traces of modifications that accumulated over centuries on its surfaces.

The Old Metropolis was built in the early 11th century; an inscription on the west entrance names Bishop Niketas, attested in 1078, as its builder. Veria fell to the Ottomans in 1430 and the cathedral became the Hünkar Mosque, with pointed upper windows and a minaret added. After Greek troops took the city in October 1912 it was reconsecrated, later housed government agencies, and served as a stable during the German occupation. Restoration ran from 2010 to 2016 on a €3,465,000 EU-funded budget, and the church was reconsecrated on 5 June 2016.

The name Hünkar Camii refers to the Ottoman sultan, meaning "Imperial Mosque". The 13th-century frescoes inside were plastered over during the Ottoman period, and holes drilled to fix the plaster damaged them. A fresco of the enthroned Theotokos found above the main northern gate during the 2010–16 restoration showed the church was dedicated to her. Since 2016 it has served as a museum and archaeological site, with liturgy only on major holidays.

The church does not hold daily liturgy; it opens as a museum and archaeological site, with services only on major holidays. The southern aisle has collapsed, so the interior is entered through what remains of the three-aisled plan. Look for the inscription at the western entrance naming Bishop Niketas.

The semicircular arches of the upper windows were replaced with pointed ones, and the northern part of the transept was demolished to make room for a plain minaret. Ancient Greek motifs on the exterior survive only in fragments. Inside, the Ottomans plastered over 13th-century frescoes, drilling holes that damaged them.