Byzantinische Kirche · Late Byzantine (mid-14th c.)

Church of Profitis Ilias

Aktualisiert 2026Zu Fuß geprüftOlympiados, on the slope below Ano Poli

A grand mid-14th-century church and the only one in Thessaloniki built on the Athonite plan used by the monasteries of Mount Athos — a tall central dome over a sweeping arcaded portico. Converted to a mosque soon after the Ottoman conquest of 1430, it is now a UNESCO monument on the slope below Ano Poli.

The arcaded portico and brick facade of the Byzantine church of Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah), Thessaloniki, with its central dome behind
Church of Profitis Ilias · Late Byzantine (mid-14th c.)
Epoche
Late Byzantine (mid-14th c.)
Lage
~10–15 min walk N of the centre, below Ano Poli
Eintritt
Free
Öffnungszeiten
Limited hours, usually mornings; check locally
Benötigte Zeit
15–20 minutes
Bewertung
4.7★ · 591 Bewertungen

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

Geschichte

Wie es entstand

Built around the mid-14th century, most likely as the katholikon of the Nea Moni (the 'New Monastery'). It is the only church in the city of the 'Athonite' type — a triconch plan with lateral apses (choroi) for the monks' choirs, as on Mount Athos. Under Ottoman rule it became a mosque, known as the Saraylı ('palace') Mosque after the nearby site of the Byzantine governor's palace. 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 dramatic exterior — a tall ribbed dome, warm brick masonry and a wide arched portico (exonarthex) across the front — and, inside, the spacious Athonite plan with surviving fragments of 14th-century wall painting in the narthex.

Wie man Besucht

On the slope below Ano Poli, an uphill walk from the centre; the church stands in a paved forecourt. As a working church its hours can be limited, so mornings are most reliable.

Beste Zeit

Morning, for the light on the brick portico

Galerie

Anfahrt

Lage
~10–15 min walk N of the centre, below Ano Poli · Olympiados, on the slope below Ano Poli
Wegbeschreibung
In Google Maps öffnen

Gut zu Wissen

It is the only church in Thessaloniki built on the Athonite (Mount Athos) monastery plan, a grand mid-14th-century building with a tall dome and a sweeping arcaded portico, plus surviving fragments of Byzantine frescoes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage monument on the slope below Ano Poli.

It dates to the mid-14th century, in the Byzantine Palaiologan period, probably as the katholikon of the Nea Moni monastery. Under Ottoman rule it served as a mosque, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988.

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