Crypt of Agios Demetrios

Crypt of Agios Demetrios

Crypt of Agios Demetrios
4.5
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles289 reviews
Excellent
211
Very good
64
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
3

Asiyah Noemi K
Pula, Croatia5,351 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018 • Family
The Church of St. Demetrios in Thessaloniki is the most important and largest church in Thessaloniki. St. Demetrios is the protector of the city of Thessaloniki. The church dates back to the time of the Byzantine Empire when Thessaloniki was the second largest city in Byzantium just after Constantinople. Demetrios spread Christianity in this region, which is 306 years executed on the orders of Emperor Maximilian. The first chapel erected on the site of today's church dates back to the 4th century. According to the legend, there was a Roman bath in which the Romans killed St. Demetrios. Already in 413, the small chapel was converted into a velvet basilica, which burnt down in the fire at the beginning of the 7th century, after which built basilica with five domes of the same design as today's church. Inside the church there is a sarcophagus with the sails of Saint Demetrios. Museum exhibits are kept in a crypt under the church itself. It is interesting to walk through the hallways of the crypt and to visit the interesting chambers where the former fountain is now. In the 5th century, when the first Church of St Demetrios was built, the site of his martyrdom was incorporated into the church and the fountain was converted into a source of holy water. In the years that followed, the fountain acquired basins, from which the faithful could collect myron, the sweet-smelling oil produced by the saint's relics. The crypt was discovered in 1918, until then it was covered with earth. A really good free attraction and a worthwhile visit.
Written 12 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

greekcypriot2009
Athens, Greece8,969 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016 • Family
I visited the Church of Ayios Demetrios again in January.

We arrived a little before the church service was over, and at the end I stepped down the stairs and visited the crypt.

The crypt was discovered in 1918 and ever since it has been an archaeological site.

There was a great fire and many of the sculptures were destroyed but those that survived can nowadays be found by the fountain in the crypt.
It is indeed interesting to step down the stairs and visit it.

There are sculptures of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries found in the church as well as Byzantine ones dated back to the 11th – 14th centuries, with various other excavation finds like coins and pottery that date from 5th to 14th centuries.
Written 21 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

_nikvandelul
Utrecht, The Netherlands3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Couples
I didn't like this place, was very scary and my children left the church running outside and then a car hit them
Written 8 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Apostolidou Georgia
Kilkis, Greece323 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
a remnant of a bygone era-no visit to Thessaloniki is complete without visiting this hidden underground museum right below the church of Agios Demetrios-definitely a must- you need a guide though!
Written 6 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael P
Tagaytay, Philippines1,291 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Couples
Our group of couples from the Prinsendam are on a self-guided shore excursion of Thessaloniki. The tourist info map and our offline phone gps easily led us to the Crypt of Agios Demetrios or Hagios Demetrios. Our information we collected prior to this cruise tells us this level of the ground gradually rose over the centuries resulting in this area acquiring the form of a crypt. According both to tradition and to archaeological findings, it was an old bathhouse, in which Demetrios was imprisoned. He was eventually martyred in 303 AD. During our visit the crypt appeared busier than the church above. We were grateful for the plaques that explain the inscriptions documenting the history of the church, together with figural sculptures of the Middle Byzantine period in one of the chambers. We also enjoyed the comfortable temperature of the crypt.
Written 31 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul L
Zeist, The Netherlands16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Business
Interesting, as it was formerly a Roman bathhouse. Free entrance through the church, with adjoining gardens. Ignore the beggar gypsies outside the church on the square.
Written 15 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katerina F
Thessaloniki, Greece10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Friends
It is one of those places where you enter and feel the centuries passing before your eyes! Mysterious atmosphere and awe! A hidden secret! Don't miss it!
Written 22 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bob R
Greater Sydney, Australia49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Couples
Not being Greek Orthodox this church and catacombs are a MUST see in Thessaloniki. The story is that when they found St James body it smelled of perfume and I can assure you in the alcove where his ashes are kept that is all you smell it is beautiful . Go under the church and you will find the catacombs where he was found. Even if you are not religious this may change your mind.
Written 23 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

135Eleni
Adelaide, Australia523 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
What a magnificent church dedicated to the memory,martyr and patron saint of Thessaloniki
Has an amazing history as it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times - the last being in 1917 after the great fire that destroyed most of the city
It dates back to the 5th C. After the fall of Constantinople (now Istanbul) the church was converted to a mosque by the Turkish rulers and once the city was liberated it was again an orthodox place of worship
The crypt houses a magnificent museum with the different sculptural decorations of the temple's history
We had taken the hop on hop off bus which stops by the church
We lit candles and a coin donation when entering and then proceeded to look at all the amazing iconografic works inside this place of worship - wall frescos and portable icons.
It was filled with people / locals and tourists coming to reflect, pray and admire.
One thing which was confronting and certainly have never encounted before was people begging inside
the church
Maybe a sign of the tough economic times that Greece is going through
Well worth a visit and then walk to ancient Roman Agora, close by to church of Panagia Chalkeon, the Modiano market and into Aristotelous St & Square all the way down to Nikis Ave and the
Thermaikos Gulf
A beautiful walk with lots to see on way and also to stop for food and refreshments
Recommend good walking shoes if wanting to explore what Thessaloniki has to offer
Written 3 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Reluctant Reviewer
London, UK61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Definitely worth going down into the crypt to see the frangments of architecture, nicely displayed and explained. Entry to the crypt is free.
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CRYPT OF AGIOS DEMETRIOS (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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