The Church of Panagia Chalkeon, situated in the heart of Thessaloniki, is a renowned cultural, architectural and religious landmark.
Dating back to 1028, this byzantine treasure has endured the test of time and continues to captivate with its stunning exterior and interior. It is rumoured that the church was built by the «royal official» Christopher as an act of atonement for his sins and those of those close to him. Christopher’s tomb remains in the church, close to the northern walls.
Christopher held the view that the church should be built on «desecrated land». This phrase was used to refer to pagan places of worship. It is likely that before the church was constructed, the spot was home to an ancient greek temple to Hephaestus, as the neighbourhood was occupied by blacksmiths and coppersmiths. The name of the church, Panagia Chalkeon, can be translated as «our lady of the coppersmiths». During the ottoman empire, Panagia Chalkeon was converted into a mosque, like the other churches in Thessaloniki. The second widespread account is that it was at this time that it was given its first (then turkish) title, based on its positioning near the copper workshops.
Panagia Chalkeon was a mosque until 1912 and then in 1934 it was restored following the 1932 earthquake in the Halkidiki peninsula. It had been half-buried in the earth until that time. The excavations made it possible to bring back to Thessaloniki one of the most valuable temples. After the 1978 earthquake in Thessaloniki, works were done to strengthen the building and safeguard its frescoes. In 1988, the church was included in the UNESCO heritage list. Nowadays it is surrounded by a garden with coniferous and palm trees, which is a favourite spot of the locals. The garden was designed to give a pleasing look to the area, since the church had been partially submerged over the centuries.
The edifice of Panagia Chalkeon is constructed entirely of brick, thus it is often referred to as the «Red» church. This material choice points to the fact that the construction was an expensive endeavor by the standards of the 11th century. The upper part of the building is adorned with numerous arches and semi-columns, while the lower section is rather plain. A marble cornice outlines the perimeter, clearly distinguishing between the upper and lower sections. Finally, near where the walls and the roof meet, one can see decorative teeth.
The Panagia Chalkeon is an incredible construction that houses some miraculous frescoes. The oldest ones are from the 1100s, while some of them are from the 1400s. The impressive fresco on the dome is called the Ascension of the Lord and it portrays the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the Apostles in addition to angels. Additionally, the prophets from the bible are also painted. The highest point of this temple is 5.5 meters tall and 3.8 meters wide.
The altar part of the edifice, composed of three sections, showcases frescoes like «Assumption of the Virgin», «Candlemas», «Christmas», and «Last supper». On the nave, there is a fresco portraying «the Second Coming». The capitals of the columns that uphold the dome remain intact and feature crosses and bas-reliefs with etchings and laurel leaf images. The floor covering at the temple is of modern origin — the original is not present.
Not far from Aristotle square is Panagia Chalkeon, which is a short 10–15 minute walk away. Urban bus lines 22, 23, 50 have a stop near it.
Visitors to the church can purchase candles and other items related to worship.
Additionally, nearby one can find the Roman Forum, Bey Hamam and Hamza Bey mosque.
