Getting to know the Thessalonians through the Ages
- Thessalonians, the Epistle in the New Testament, refers to Thessaloniki. St. Paul set foot on European soil in nearby Kavala, were he baptised Europe’s first Christian, Lydia. St Paul then shared the message of Christianity in Synagogues in Thessaloniki around the year 52 AD.
- For a significant portion of Thessaloniki’s multi-cultural history, Orthodox Christians of Greek descent were not the majority. Thessaloniki was a refuge for Sephardic Jews who were fleeing persecution from the Inquisition. The streets of Thessaloniki were filled with the musical sound of Ladino – a Judeo-Spanish language. This rich aspect of Thessaloniki’s cultural heritage was all but wiped out during the Second World War, when Thessaloniki suffered a devastating loss of over 95% of its Jewish population. Find out more about the Jewish contribution to Thessaloniki’s culture at the Jewish Museum.
- Thessaloniki was also home to a fascinating sect of muslims, called the Donmeh. These were originally followers of the charismatic Jewish mystic Sabbatai Zevi, who followed him into Islam when he was forced to convert in the 16th century. They practiced Islam outwardly, while keeping some of their original religious practices privately. This was a group of immense influence in Thessaloniki in the late 19th and early 20th century. People of culture, education, and wealth, they played a great role in the life of the city. The Geni Tzami – the magnificent “New Mosque” in the Exoches district – was built for the Donmeh.
- During World War I, Thessaloniki became an even more cosmopolitan city. It was home to hundreds of thousands of troops from many lands fighting on the Macedonian front. In those days, the cafe life of the city was in full swing, as the streets and beer halls filled with soldiers of the Allied powers. In addition to many troops from Serbia, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, there were some soldiers from as far away as India and Vietnam.
- One of Thessaloniki’s famous citizens was Kemal Attaturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic. The home he grew up in is at the foot of Ano Poli and now serves as a museum and the Turkish consulate.