Government efforts to abolish visa requirements with certain countries were emphatically appreciated as it has boosted tourism with countries like Russia, Lebanon (before the Syrian war) and Croatia (before it became an EU member). If we look at the last example, Turkish tourists’ arrivals to Croatia dropped 20 percent after the nation entered the EU last summer, despite Zagreb’s efforts to ease the process of visa attainment for Turkish nationals.
Once quiet a torturous process due to strains in relations, Greece now welcomes Turks thanks to the rapprochement between the two capitals, having become one of the most preferred countries among Turks who apply for the Schengen visa (since the Greeks have proven quiet generous in their visa approvals). When you add to that the geographical proximity, it would only be natural for Greece to become a major travel destination for jet-setting Turks; after Athens and the islands, Thessaloniki has become increasingly popular. Turkish Airlines has a direct flight to Thessaloniki each day and it only takes an hour and 20 minutes from İstanbul.
Greece’s second largest city has of course a special place in the minds and hearts of Turks since it is the birth place of Atatürk, the Republic’s founder. The house where he was born, which was reopened last August after restoration, is one of the main attraction sites for the Turkish visitors. Many come out disappointed however, as the building, which is located on the premises of the Turkish consulate-general, does not have much inside to see. Bar some historical facts written on the walls, and a mummy of Atatürk, the house is empty.
Apart from this disappointment, the city has plenty to offer from its rich history and the majority of must-sees are all within walking distance.
Founded around 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon, who named it after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great, Thessaloniki’s Roman past can be best traced at the ancient forum, the Roman agora, situated right in the middle of the city.
The Triumphal Arch of Galerius as well as the Rotunda, an early 4th century building later converted into a Christian church, are some other archeological sites that one should visit in the city. You can’t miss the arch since is it is situated on Egnatia road, one of the city’s main arteries, packed with traffic.
Byzantine art
Thessaloniki, with its host of Byzantine monuments is considered an open-air museum of Byzantine art. The churches, dating as far back as the 5th or 6th centuries, are striking with their almost intact structurally. While the city remained part of the Ottoman Empire for more than four centuries, a strong Jewish community was established, and, among the legacy left behind by Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, it seems the remnants of the local Jewish community was the first to have received attention by way of a city-wide restoration project, an initiative mostly funded by the European Union.
The churches of Acheiropoietos (5th century) a three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica, Hagia Sophia (7th century), and the Panaghia (Virgin) Chalkeon (1028) are but some of the churches that should not be missed.
The city’s main Ottoman buildings include the White Tower, which was built in the 15th century is also the hallmark of the city. You can’t miss it since a walk in the seaside is also a must when in Thessaloniki. With numerous coffee shops and restaurants on the waterfront, for Turks it is reminiscent İzmir’s seaside area, with İzmir once home to thousands of Greeks, who had to leave after Turkey’s war of liberation at the end of World War One. The tower is not white at all. Replacing an old Byzantine for, it was reconstructed by the Ottomans and later became a notorious prison and scene of mass executions during the period of Ottoman rule. It was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city in 1912, and thus comes the name.
The Mosques of the Hamza Bey Cami (15th century), the Aladja Imaret Cami are among the other Ottoman constructions to visit. The Yahudi (Jewish) hamam is also worth a visit, yet you can only see it from the outside, as the interior is still awaiting restoration.
A visit to the city’s Jewish museum is unfortunately a saddening experience as it portrays a dark page of the city’s history. Following expulsion from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, some Jewish groups were sent to Thessaloniki by Ottoman rulers to contribute to the revival of the city. Jews experienced a golden age in the 16th century, becoming a great asset for the development of the city.
In the course of the following centuries, the small Jewish cemetery of the city was enlarged to accommodate the increased numbers of the deceased. By 1940 there were more than 500,000 tombs, all of which were destroyed during the Nazi occupation of the city, according to the information provided by the museum. In 1941, Thessaloniki had a community of some 49,000 Jews. By the end of 1945, only a handful of Jews remained; 96.5 percent of the city’s Jewish community was exterminated in the death camps of Poland.
Wining and dining
As is the case with most of the other cities in Greece, Thessaloniki provides a variety of choices when it comes to wining and dining. The Seven Seas restaurant is known to be the best sea food restaurant in town and it has earned its reputation indeed by way of the fine quality of service, food and beverage it has to offer.
Those who would like to take the advice of the Thessaloniki Mayor and have a rather authentic experience should sample one of the smaller restaurants at the Modiano market in the city center. It is similar to the Çiçek Pasajı but much less touristic. The food is delicious and the ambience with the live “buzuki” music is simply delightful. It would be ideal for a late lunch rather than an evening dinner affair.
Those prefering to go to Thessaloniki by car should definitily go to Vergina, 75 km from Thessaloniki. The discovery there of the ancient city of Aigai and its cemetery makes it a must-see. Of particular note are the tombs of the royal dynasty, most notably King Philip II. An underground building constructed in 1993 encloses and protects the royal tombs, maintaining the stable temperature and humidity necessary to preserve the wall paintings. It should be of particular interest for Turks to see such a successful example of conservation of historical artefacts at the very place that they were discovered.
Two Golden Dawn supporters shot dead in Greece
Two members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party were killed in a drive-by shooting outside the movement's offices in Athens on Nov. 1, raising fears of an escalation of political violence in the crisis-wracked country.
The men, both in their 20s, were gunned down at a time of growing public anger against Golden Dawn and a government crackdown on the party after the killing of a rapper in September blamed on a sympathiser of the group.
A third man was seriously wounded in the shooting on a busy street during the evening rush hour, police said, declining to go into further details.
Politicians who have in the past queued up to pour scorn on Golden Dawn - still Greece's third most popular political force - united in condemning the shooting.
"The murderers - whoever they are - will be dealt with unsparingly by our democracy. Let everyone know this," the government's spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told reporters outside the prime minister's mansion.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack. A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the force suspected unnamed anti-establishment groups, and was satisfied the attack was not linked to a personal dispute.
Party blames government
Golden Dawn, which stormed into parliament last year on an anti-immigrant agenda, said it had asked for police protection at its offices after receiving threats.
"[Prime Minister Antonis] Samaras's anti-Greek government is to blame for the crime, which allowed out of control terrorists to murder young kids in cold blood," the party said in a statement.
The party, which rode a wave of anger against austerity imposed to cope with Greece's financial crisis, has seen several senior members arrested in an investigation into accusations it was involved in attacks and criminal activities.
The government has in the past promised to wipe out a party it describes as a "neo-Nazi gang".
Scores of police in riot gear cordoned off the streets surrounding the offices, draped with a large Greek flag, in the northern Athens suburb of Neo Iraklio, a bustling area with cafes and restaurants nearby.
Police officials, who asked not to be named, said they believed the victims were shot at close-range with a 9mm pistol.
Golden dawn uses a swastika-like emblem and its leader has denied the Holocaust, though it rejects the neo-Nazi label.
Dimitris Papadimoulis, a lawmaker from the leftist opposition Syriza party which has fiercely opposed Golden Dawn, called the shootings a "blow to democracy". "It feeds fascism, it does not beat it," he wrote on Twitter.
Greece's public order minister, Nikos Dendias, said he would not allow Greece to become "anyone's battlefield for settling scores."
Fears of rising political violence in crisis-hit Greece also flared earlier this year in January, when unidentified attackers opened fire on the Athens headquarters of the co-ruling New Democracy party with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
 Far-right hooligans attack Turkish center in Austria
VIENNA - Agence France-Presse
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10/29/2013
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