Church of St. Demetrios

The Hagios Demetrios, or Church of Saint Demetrius, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Thessaloniki's patron saint, Saint Demetrius. Underneath the church is the sacred crypt - a catacomb-like structure where Hagios Demetrios’ remains were found. It is now a museum displaying a collection of sculptures, paintings, inscriptions, and other artefacts from the early to middle Byzantine period.

It is believed to be built on the ruins of the Roman Empire-era bath where Saint Demetrius was imprisoned and then martyred in 306 BC for propagating Christianity. The exhibits include the original hexagonal ciborium made of wood and silver that was used on the saint’s sarcophagus. A fountain found in the crypt was converted into a source of holy water where myrrh, the scented oil produced by the saint’s relics, accumulates and can be collected by the people of faith. The present-day structure of Hagios Demetrios is a reconstruction of the 17th-century church, which was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1917, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mass-scale restoration was stopped between 1938 and 1946 because of the Second World War.