Mis à jour 2026·Vérifié à pied·Chalkeon 2, by the Roman Forum, city centre
An elegant all-brick cross-in-square church of 1028, nicknamed the 'Red Church' for its warm terracotta masonry, sunk in a small garden beside the Roman Forum in the heart of the city.
Panagia Chalkeon · Byzantine (1028)
Période
Byzantine (1028)
Emplacement
City centre, a block from Aristotelous and Egnatia
Entrée
Free
Horaires
Limited hours, usually mornings; check locally
Temps Nécessaire
15–20 minutes
Note
4.7★ · 602 avis
Horaires et prix vérifiés pour la dernière fois en 2026 — ils changent, alors confirmez le jour même.
Histoire
Comment c'est né
Built in 1028 — a dated dedicatory inscription survives over the entrance, naming its Byzantine-official founder. It stood in the metalworkers' quarter, which gave it the name 'of the Chalkeon' (the coppersmiths); under Ottoman rule it became the Kazancılar (coppersmiths') Mosque before being returned to Christian worship in 1912. It is one of the UNESCO-listed Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki.
Ce Que Vous Verrez
Lors d'une visite
The superb red-brick exterior — three tiled domes, recessed brick arches and dentil courses, a textbook of 11th-century Byzantine masonry — and inside, surviving wall paintings of the same era, all in a quiet sunken garden minutes from the markets.
Comment Visiter
Central and flat, on Chalkeon just off Egnatia near the Roman Forum; a few minutes' walk from Aristotelous Square. The church sits below street level in its garden.
Meilleur Moment
Morning, when the low sun warms the brickwork
Galerie
S'y Rendre
Emplacement
City centre, a block from Aristotelous and Egnatia · Chalkeon 2, by the Roman Forum, city centre
For its construction: it is built almost entirely of warm red brick, unusual and striking among the city's churches, so locals call it the Kokkini Ekklisia — the Red Church. The name 'Chalkeon' instead refers to the coppersmiths' quarter it was built in.
It dates to 1028 — a rare precisely dated Byzantine church, thanks to the founder's inscription above its door. It later served as a mosque under Ottoman rule and was returned to Christian worship in 1912. It's a UNESCO World Heritage monument.
