church of ayia sofia

A miniature of agia Sofia in Constantinople with wonderful icons and frescoes Our visit in this church traveled us back in time and made us feel inside og our hearts very special feelings We want to return

Built following the architecture of Agia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople) the church is worth visiting for two reasons. The remains of the murals that survived the great fire and the unique (for Greek Orthodox churches) mosaic on the dome which actually has a different theme, colors and aesthetic view than any other church in Greece

This church is so dark compared to other churches in the area.from 1345 to later in the afternoon it is closed.

It is a jewel of Byzantine architecture (basilica) with amazing mosaics. I felt solemn and admired particularly the dome.

Definitely worth the detour as one is ambling up Aristatelous Square. The current structure was evidently erected in the 8th century and modeled on the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. As I was there on a Sunday, I got there just as a mass was ending and the church was being cleaned. The massive chandeliers, altar and fresco-covered dome are exquisite.

This Byzanitne era church is a monument that everyone must visit. The church is located at the city centre and can be accessed by foot.

The Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki was built in honor of Christ, such as Hagia Sophia Istanbul, which have many common characteristics The construction of the temple took place after the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, where Christ is acknowledged as the "Reason and Wisdom" of God Around however, by the date of the construction of the church created a big issue Many argued that the church was built the same time as that of Constantinople by Justinian (527-565) even plans architect Anthemios Others have tried to date the date of its construction based architectural-morphological elements, building materials used, or the wonderful mosaics of the interior space However, the prevailing view is that St Sophia Thessaloniki indeed built on a foundation of pre-existing "Royal" in the years of Iconoclasm, perhaps the last quarter of the 8th century

This church is open from 7am till 1pm and from 6m till 7.30pm. It's quite dark inside, but the altar and big chandelier looked quite impressive. Church dates back to 8th century and used to serve as a mosque also. Some nice mosaics on the dome but some light is needed to fully appreciate them. Outside it has a mini garden in front of the entrance. Watch out for pushy beggar boys at the entrance gate - keep your belongings well hiden.

Nice but not specialInteresting to visit nothing more.Outside look like a normal big building ,but insidesome to see in church arquitecture.some nice paintings

This church is very similar to St. Demitrius, nice, old, and about 300meters away. Nice. Its also in the center of the city,so afet a brief visit,you can eat, shop, view, or take a strool, 150 meters south, to the waterfront. Cool.

Very beautiful church with an old character. If you are ever in thessaloniki you have to see this church!

Visit this super central Church. Rich and interesting as any other Church in Thessaloniki. I would advise to take a look also when it's dark outside and the Church it is enlightened only by candles!

The Church of Ayia Sofia is not as grandiose and the Ayios Dimitrios, still the architecture and interior design and contents are very beautiful.The lights are very scarce inside which add to the holiness; the Altar, the Dome, the Ceiling, the Icons, the Chandeliers, the Paintings, the Engraved Stand, Cabinets and Chairs are really wonderful.

Hagia Sophia is one of the 17 UNESCO Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. Built in the 8th century AD, it's mosaics inside are some of the best of Byzantine art. Sadly it's not really taken care properly by the Greek ministry of culture.

I cannot really say much about the church - as unfortunately we could only see from the outside as it did not appear to be open and we could not see why. It looks great though.