Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki historically also known as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the periphery of Central Macedonia as well as the Greek region of Macedonia. The city has a population of around 360.000 people. It is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessalonika, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city has a Mediterranean climate that borders on an semi-arid climate with annual average precipitation of 460 mm. Snowfalls are sporadic, but happen more or less every year. Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Summers are hot with rather humid nights. Complex of Roman emperor Galerius and the first church of Hagios Demetrios were built in time of the evolution of Imperial Byzantine architecture. By the 8th century the city saw the creation of more notable Christian churches such as Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki. When the Ottoman Empire took control of Thessaloniki most of the city's churches were converted into mosques. During the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 the church of Hagios Demetrios burned down but it was rebuilt during the Second World War. Thessaloniki has more listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other city in Greece. The Jewish population in Greece was the oldest in mainland Europe, and was mostly Sephardic. The city's main theaters, run by the National Theater include the Theater of the Society of Macedonian Studies, the Royal Theater, Moni Lazariston. The Earth Theater and Forest Theater are both amphitheatrical open-air theatres overlooking the city. Thessaloniki has many museums such as the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the Prehistoric Antiquities Museum. Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum is one of the most modern museums in the city. Railway Museum, War Museum, the Thessaloniki Olympic Museum and the Sports Museum of Thessaloniki, the Atatürk Museum, Historical Museum of the Balkan Wars, Jewish Museum, Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, and many more. City is host to a numerous festivals like the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and other similar festivals. Thessaloniki is a major port city and an industrial and commercial centre.