The antiquities on both sides of the entrances of the Agias Sophias Metro station but also inside the station highlight rich history of the Byzantine Thessaloniki.
Ancient roads, squares, market place, stores ext are just a small example of what the visitors may see at this station in the center of Thessaloniki.
The north entrance of the Agias Sophias Station of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Railway is located next to the Makedonomachon Square.
According to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the archaelogical excavation began in April 2016 and was completed in 2022, bringing to light part of the urban fabric of the city of Thessaloniki, which is structured north of the decumanus maximus, the Byzantine avenue (today’s Egnatia Road), in a succession of building phases, from late antiquity and the early Byzantine times to the post-Byzantine and modern eras.
Part of a large sigmoid marble-paved square, dating from the 6th century, was uncovered, to which a monumental staircase led from street level.
In Byzantine times, the area of the square was occupied by shops and workshops producing ceramic, glass and metal jewelry, while in the early post-Byzantine times a naedrium was added.
Next to the north entrance of the station stands the byzantine Church of Panagia Acheiropoietos or Acheiropoietos that was built around the end of the 5th century and is the best-preserved church of the early Christian period in Thessaloniki and the East.
The church was dedicated to the worship of Panagia, however, there is evidence of a joint liturgy during the celebration of Saint Demetrius, where the procession from the church of Saint Demetrius ended at Acheiropoietos.
The church was dedicated to the worship of Panagia, however, there is evidence of a joint liturgy during the celebration of Saint Demetrius, where the procession from the church of Saint Demetrius ended at Acheiropoietos.
The name “Acheiropoietos” came by an ecclesiastic byzantine icon of Panagia, which according to tradition was not created by human hands and is even mentioned for the first time in an imperial document of the 14th century.
On the Makedonomachon Square stand the statutes of six Macedonian fighters: Alexandros Petrides, Georgios Volanis, Dimitrios Kalapothakis, Efthymios Kaoudis, Elias Deligianakis and Pavlos Gyparis.
Thesnewsline.com takes you to the Byzantine era of Thessaloniki as reflected through the city’s Metro.
Read also: Thesnewsline at the Metro of Thessaloniki – Venizelou Metro Station (Video/photos)
(Video/photos thesnewsline.com)
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