Visit to Thessaloniki
Today we stayed in Thessaloniki, it was one of the first places where Paul the Apostle preached. First we went to the Church of Saint Dimitrios. This church is a five-isled basilica. He is the patron Saint of Thessaloniki. He has a unique life story. He secretly became a Christian at a young age; this was not allowed because at the time they worshipped idolatry gods. The emperor tried to send St. Dimitrios to chase and kill all of the Christians, but St. Dimitrios did not. He stood firm in his faith and refused his emperor. The emperor, furious, threw him into prison where he continued to preach the word of God. Nestoras, a follower of St. Dimitrios, went down to prison and asked St. Dimitrios if he could fight for him in the gladiatorial games. He was going to face the emperor's athletic giant. St. Dimitrios agreed and Nestoras won! However, the emperor was enraged and had them both killed. The church is built over St. Dimitrios' body, and contains hidden remains. It is extremely beautiful, and encapsulates the beauty and glory of God. The main colors are mahogany and gold. They have a relic in which the bones of St. Dimitrios have been for hundreds of years. There were also many beautiful illustrations of mosaics and murals depicting important saints within the Church.
Later we went to the White Tower. This place has great historical value. It was built by the Ottoman Empire, and it was used as a prison. There were many people tortured and executed there. In fact, there was so much bloodshed there that the walls were stained from the blood of the people who were kept prisoners there. As time went on, the "bloody" tower was whitewashed to change the reputation of it. 