Church of Prophet Elijah

Thessaloniki Church of Prophet Elijah

Church of Prophet Elijah, is located at the old city of Thessaloniki alternatively called also “Upper Town”. It was built during the 14th century (approx. around 1360-1370).

Based on small-scale excavations and studies that have been contacted around the temple, the Church of Prophet Elijah, was probably built on the ruins of the Byzantine Palace of Thessaloniki. The temple is founded largely on rock and ruins of old buildings in an area that many marbles can be found even today. The Church of Prophet Elijah, has suffered a lot of damages over the years, mainly because its foundation was not stable enough.

During Ottoman times, significant efforts were made to make the temple more stable and protect it from additional damages. They were though demolished after a meticulous restoration of the monument. During the same period the area around Prophet Elijah Church was named “Balaat” which perhaps is translated into Greek as “Palati” which means “Palace”. The church of Prophet Elijah during this period became a mosque and was renamed to “Eski-Seragio” which in English means “mosque of the old palace”. Close to the Church of Prophet Elijah (from its west side) during the same period the “Government House” was built which is consistent with the fact that the area was meant to remind the old Byzantine Palace.

Today, its iconographic decoration, only the portrayal of the Infanticide, representative of the final period of Palaeologan painting, survives in the narthex.

Address: Olimpiados 52, Thessaloníki 54633, Greece
Phone: 0030 2310 273790