Saint Gregory Palamas Church, Thessaloniki, Metropolitan Orthodox church in central Thessaloniki, Greece
Saint Gregory Palamas Church is the metropolitan church of Thessaloniki, built 1891–1914 to plans by Ernst Ziller and completed by Xenophon Paionidis. It is a domed octagonal church of the Byzantine Revival type, with a nave in the form of an inscribed equilateral cross and four tall bell towers on four sides.
The building was reconstructed following a devastating fire in 1890, with architects Ernst Ziller and Xenophon Paionidis overseeing the work from 1891 to 1914. This reconstruction marked the city's effort to restore its religious landmarks.
The church is named after Gregory Palamas, the 14th-century Archbishop of Thessaloniki, and keeps his relics. Its interior was painted by the Constantinople artist Nikolaos Kessanlis, who arrived in 1911; the frescoes were damaged in the 1978 earthquake and repainted in the 1980s.
The church stands at the corner of Metropolis and Hagia Sophia streets in the city centre, a short walk from the waterfront. Enter from the street side; the interior is an active Orthodox place of worship, so dress modestly and keep voices low during services.
The church is linked to the Museum for the Macedonian Struggle, the former Greek Consulate General, by a secret door; both were Ernst Ziller's work and served as headquarters of the Greek armed propaganda in Macedonia from 1904 to 1908.
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