Byzantinische Kirche · Late Byzantine (late 13th–early 14th c.)

Church of Agia Aikaterini

Aktualisiert 2026Zu Fuß geprüftNorthwest Ano Poli, near the city walls

One of the most graceful of the city's Byzantine churches — a five-domed Palaiologan jewel of the late 13th or early 14th century, wrapped in a columned ambulatory and bands of fine brickwork, tucked into the northwestern lanes of Ano Poli. Its original name is lost; under the Ottomans it became the Yakup Pasha Mosque. A UNESCO monument most visitors never reach.

The five-domed brick exterior of the Byzantine church of Agia Aikaterini in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, with its arcaded gallery
Church of Agia Aikaterini · Late Byzantine (late 13th–early 14th c.)
Epoche
Late Byzantine (late 13th–early 14th c.)
Lage
Ano Poli, ~15–20 min uphill from the centre
Eintritt
Free
Öffnungszeiten
Limited hours, usually mornings; check locally
Benötigte Zeit
15–20 minutes
Bewertung
4.8★ · 434 Bewertungen

Öffnungszeiten und Preise zuletzt 2026 geprüft — sie ändern sich, also am Tag bestätigen.

Geschichte

Wie es entstand

Built in the late 13th or early 14th century, in the Palaiologan period; the founder is unknown, but its refined 'Constantinopolitan' design — a cross-in-square wrapped by an ambulatory and crowned with five domes — places it firmly in that golden age. Under Ottoman rule it became the Yakub Pasha Mosque, and the plaster applied then helped preserve fragments of its early-14th-century frescoes. It is one of the fifteen Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Was Sie Sehen

Bei einem Besuch

The elegant exterior — five tiled domes over the cross-in-square core, a graceful arcaded ambulatory on three sides, and bands of decorative brick — and, inside, surviving fragments of accomplished early-14th-century wall painting beneath the central dome.

Wie man Besucht

A climb up into the northwestern Ano Poli on foot, or a city bus toward the upper town; the church stands in a railed garden. As a working church its hours are limited, so mornings are most reliable.

Beste Zeit

Morning, for the light on the brickwork

Galerie

Anfahrt

Lage
Ano Poli, ~15–20 min uphill from the centre · Northwest Ano Poli, near the city walls
Wegbeschreibung
In Google Maps öffnen

Gut zu Wissen

For its architecture above all — a beautifully proportioned Palaiologan church of around 1300, with five domes, a columned ambulatory and intricate brickwork, plus surviving fragments of early-14th-century frescoes inside. It is a UNESCO World Heritage monument, and far quieter than the big central churches.

It dates to the late 13th or early 14th century, in the Byzantine Palaiologan period. Under Ottoman rule it served as the Yakub Pasha Mosque before returning to Christian worship, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988.

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