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Ornate Tree Lizard
Death Valley National Park
These lizards are found in the Southwest but primarily in Arizona and Nevada. How this small population arrived in Death Valley is not known
Backlit, but still worth the shot, CP 368 skirts along the Crowsnest River as it approaches Lundbreck Falls.
CP 368
- Origin: Eastport, ID - UP interchange
- Head-end power: UP 8963 (EMD SD70ACe) - UP 7717 (GE ES44AC)
Sponsored by LUCROIT
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Primera foto del año, la verdad es que ya tiene algún tiempo, está tomada durante la visita de los amigos del Foto Club Ifach, pero la tenía reservada para inaugurar este 2014 con uno de los lugares que creo más me identifican,Costa Quebrada.
Esta foto me recuerda que siempre estoy al borde de darme un chapuzón, siempre veo "la compo" alli donde no hay sitio ni para colocar el trípode, asi me pasa que la mayor de las veces termino calada hasta los tuétanos, en ese aspecto soy incorregible.Estos días he andado algo pachucha debido a un fantástico gripazo, aun no estoy recuperada por lo que ando algo alejada de mi medio natural que es haciendo fotos en la costa. Aprovecho desde aquí para pedir disculpas a todos aquellos a los que les debo respuesta via mail, muchos de ellos preguntándome por el comportamiento del porta de Lucroit, Prometo ponerme al día y contestaros a td@s, palabra.
- TÉCNICA: Para la imagen de hoy utilicé el ND 64 de B&W, el inverso de dos pasos de Hitech y la black card.
Como el primer plano estaba ya algo en sombra realicé una medición de la luz en el cielo y otra en el mar para calcular cuantos pasos de diferencia había, así puedo calcular aproximadamente cuanto tiempo de reserva debo realizar con la black card en la parte baja.No es una ciencia exacta pero si no es al primer intento me suele resultar al segundo, para que la roca en forma de cara del acantilado recibiera algo mas de luz gire el porta colocando en diagonal el filtro inverso así luego tengo que jugar poco con a edición para compensar luces.
Los datos exif los podreis encontrar en la WEB.
-COMPOSICIÓN: Buscando dibujar una triangulación con las roquitas del primer plano, la puerta y el acantilado intenté situarme lo mas a la derecha que la marea me pudo permitir, se a ciencia cierta que un pasito más a la derecha hubiese equilibrado más la toma pero me fue imposible situarme mejor, la intención es clara, otra cosa es haber acertado con el juego de lineas.
- EDICIÓN: En el DPP de Canon balance de Blancos, niveles con curvas, ligero enderezado del horizonte.En PS realice un ajuste de luces altas con una máscara de luminosidad, en ocasiones cuando mi técnica no da para más debo de elegir entre tener información en las sombras( yo lo prefiero) o dejar que se me escapen algunas luces altas, se que mi cámara recupera decentemente un paso de luz arriba, pero si le exijo demasiado termino por estropear la imagen , asi que entonces recurro al uso de una mascara básica de luminosidad, una acción que me selecciona aquellas luces más altas de la escena cuyo rango tonal es el mismo, asi puedo hacer uso de una máscara de capa al 50% de gris y utilizar la técnica del dodge and burn con un pincel muy suavecito y recuperar esas luces que fui incapaz de salvar, asi es como consigo meter toda la escena dentro de histograma para despues trabajar por zonas con niveles, no hay más truco que este.
In my last day in Kathmandu, Nepal I was little disappointed since I wanted to take some pictures before flying back but it was raining. Just came in the airport within rain and when our flight took-off it was still raining. But, ola; once airplane was up it was fascinating view through the window below :-) Usually I take aisle sit but that time I was in window (another unusual thing was that was my trip with our national carrier!!) and was fortunate to look and take some pictures :)
Some Info (source internet including wikipedia):
Definitely our flight was not directly over the Himalaya but I guess the mountains ranges were part of Himalaya anyway. As we know mighty Himalaya is the highest mountain ranges in the world and shaped the cultural, environmental backbone of the Indian subcontinent.
Some of the world's major and sub-continent´s holiest rivers, Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Red River (Asia), Xunjiang, Chao Phraya, Irrawaddy River, Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Tarim River and Yellow River, rise in the Himalayas, and their combined drainage basin is home to some 3 billion people (almost half of Earth's population). Himalayan rivers are naturally snow-fed & rain-fed and thus provides constant flow throughout the year.
It was fascinating experience to look into the origin and creations of so many water streams, which might later combined is rivers and thinking about all these!!!
PS: Photos are taken through the airplane window and might not in high quality.
Another picture in comment.
Mission photos. Origins of the Iconian precursors. Last of the Iconians and their past.
Iconians in this story are not tied to STO. This is what the BluShock version would look like.
Every tradition, every myth, is based on a grain of truth...
Recent evidence suggests that the easter bunny originated somewhere in what was once the supercontinent Gondwana, 2000 to 2000000000 years ago.
Several factors were important in the creation of the easter bunny story:
- dinosaurs would lay their eggs at this time of year
- their eggs were nutritious
- prehistoric man would be really hungry after a long winter
- being male and hungry predisposed him to making stupid decisions e.g.. stealing dinosaur eggs
- ancient megafauna like megarabbit were slow moving and easy to kill, but not as nutritious as dinosaur eggs
- if you wore megabunny ears like a hat, it would make you (prehistoric man) appear bigger and thus scarier to dinosaurs, increasing your chance of successfully stealing dinosaur eggs and surviving to procreate another day from 1:32544756485 to 1:7362486346
- prehistoric man had not yet mastered statistics or critical thought.
With these well documented facts put together, we can now appreciate how the story of the "easter bunny" and "easter eggs" came to be.
Ofcourse, like all stories, it has changed somewhat over the years, but the main message of Easter has remained the same - chocolate eggs taste better than real eggs, but are far less nutritious.
Happy hunting, and happy Easter!
Blotti à l’intérieur du mur d’enceinte qui entoure le site prestigieux de l’abbaye de Villers, le vignoble est installé dans un clos de 20 ares, répartis sur 5 niveaux : la « plaine » et 4 terrasses.
C’est en 1990 qu’un groupe de passionnés, à l’origine de la Confrérie du Vignoble de l'Abbaye de Villers-en-Brabant asbl, a décidé de défricher ce clos et d’y replanter de la vigne. D’après les archives de l’abbaye, un vignoble y existait déjà dès 1312. Les moines cisterciens de Villers ont toujours consommé du vin. Il leur était nécessaire pour le service divin, le réfectoire, la pharmacie, l’hôtellerie et la réception des grands personnages à qui ils servaient un «vin d’honneur.»
La culture du pinot noir, qui était chère aux cisterciens, est très délicate sous notre climat. En outre, elle nécessite l’utilisation de produits phytosanitaires et une main d’œuvre importante. Les vignerons de Villers-la-Vigne ont donc choisi de planter des cépages interspécifiques, c’est-à-dire issus de croisements entre cépages nobles et cépages résistant aux maladies cryptogamiques mieux adaptés à nos contrées : Regent, Phoenix et Muscaris, des cépages interspécifiques d’origine allemande.
Le vignoble de l’abbaye de Villers-la Ville, avec ses 1000 pieds répartis en terrasses, est un patrimoine naturel et génétique qu’il convient de préserver.
La vigne y est traitée selon des principes empruntés à l’agriculture biologique et à la permaculture, afin d’enrichir encore la biodiversité impressionnante du lieu.
L'appellation Villers-la-Vigne regroupe des produits originaux et uniques par leurs caractéristiques de vinification et leur terroir spécifique : le Villers-la-Vigne se décline en rouge, blanc et rosé.
Nestled inside the perimeter wall that surrounds the prestigious site of the Abbey of Villers, the vineyard is set in a 20-acre enclosure, spread over 5 levels: the "plain" and 4 terraces.
It was in 1990 that a group of enthusiasts, at the origin of the Confrérie du Vignoble de l'Abbaye de Villers-en-Brabant asbl, decided to clear this enclosure and replant vines there. According to the abbey's archives, a vineyard already existed there as early as 1312. The Cistercian monks of Villers have always consumed wine. It was necessary for them for divine service, the refectory, the pharmacy, the hotel business and the reception of the great personages to whom they served a "wine of honor."
The cultivation of Pinot Noir, which was dear to the Cistercians, is very delicate in our climate. In addition, it requires the use of phytosanitary products and a significant workforce. The winemakers of Villers-la-Vigne have therefore chosen to plant interspecific grape varieties, that is to say from crosses between noble grape varieties and grape varieties resistant to fungal diseases better suited to our regions: Regent, Phoenix and Muscaris, grape varieties interspecific of German origin.
The vineyard of Villers-la Ville abbey, with its 1000 vines spread over terraces, is a natural and genetic heritage that must be preserved.
The vines are treated there according to principles borrowed from organic farming and permaculture, in order to further enrich the impressive biodiversity of the place.
The Villers-la-Vigne appellation brings together original and unique products by their winemaking characteristics and their specific terroir: Villers-la-Vigne is available in red, white and rosé.
Le origini di Noli, uno dei centri più interessanti della Liguria, non sono ancora note.
Il nome della città, che nei documenti più antichi dei secoli XI e X!! è testimoniato nella forma di Naboli, con chiaro riferimento al nome greco di NEAPOLIS, città nuova, può far ritenere che Noli sia stata, insieme al centro vicino di Varigotti,un' importante base di appoggio per i Bizantini.
Boeufs Texas Longhorn au pâturage.
"La texas longhorn est le fruit d'un croisement entre la vache retinta, introduite au Mexique par les Conquistadores, et des vaches d'origine anglaise introduites par les colons
C'est au Texas qu'est née cette race caractérisée par sa robe mouchetée et ses très longues cornes dont l'envergure totale peut dépasser les deux mètres. Très résistante, elle peut vivre dans des zones arides et chaudes. La texas longhorn est aujourd'hui élevée pour sa viande.
Saint-Rosaire, province de Québec, Canada.
Origin, Tradition, Continuity... ~ Ursprung, Tradition, Kontinuitet...
And why do I call this one "Close To The Heavenly Hills"? Primary because I spent some Midsummers in a small village close to this church, where the view is magnificent. Of course there is another "message" too so the title is ambiguous.
Och varför kallar jag denna "Nära De Himmelska Höjderna"? Först och främst för att jag tillbringade några midsomrar i en liten by nära denna kyrka, där utsikten är storslagen.
Naturligtvis finns det ett annat "budskap" också så titeln är tvetydig.
Guess this should be seen in large for more details- Antar att den här skall ses is stort format för att se detaljerna.
微妙に左右対称じゃないのでなんか不完全燃焼...(´Д` )
SIGMA DP1 Merrill
#cooljapan #100tokyo #東京夜間写真部 #elevatedexpressways
Muy buenas, hoy vuelvo para mi tierra, pegadito a la costa, y os dejo esta toma que realicé en el Parque Natural de Calblanque. En esta ocasión la idea la tenía clara, unir el efecto que produce la lana de acero con el entorno y aprovechar la vía láctea para realizar un encuadre completo.
Como siempre, en una sola toma, sin utilizar Photoshop, y realizando un procesado ligero en Lightroom. En esta ocasión, pude realizar la toma gracias a tener un objetivo completamente manual. Para los que estéis familiarizados con la fotografía nocturna, sabréis que la configuración de la cámara para sacar la vía láctea, es totalmente distinta a la configuración para lograr una correcta exposición de la lana de acero. Para lograrlo, tuve que jugar con la apertura, y solo pude hacerlo gracias a que el objetivo que utilicé es totalmente manual, y me permite cambiar la apertura una vez iniciada la toma.
Estos son los datos de la toma:
Canon 6D @ Samyang 14mm @ 40 seg. @ 6400 ISO @ F/2.8-22
Espero que os guste…
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www.flickr.com/photos/davidrosphoto/
...A l'origine, l'église de Braine avaient une longueur de 70 m.
Elle comportait 6 travées.
L'emplacement de la partie disparue est matérialisé au sol sur le parvis.
A la limité rouge du parvis s'élevaient trois partails aux ébrasements profonds, celui du milieu étant surmonté d'une grande rose.
En 1650, l'église est pillée par les Espagnols, à la révolution elle est saccagée.
Le 16 avril 1791, l'église est fermée et les Prémontrés chassés.
Un décret la voua à la destruction en 1806.
Elle fut sauvée grâce à un curé de Braine, l'Abbé Beaucamps qui alerta les autorités et le Roi Louis XVIII lui rappelant que les Comtes de Dreux étaient des Capétiens.
Au moment de la restauration en 1829 une grande partie de la nef était effrondrée.
Les 4 premières travées furent démolies et les portails démontés, l'église ne mesure plus que 42 m.
Les travaux durèrent une vingtaine d'années.
www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/mersri_fr?ACTION=CHERC...
the-pier.co.uk/bournemouth-pier
Bournemouth Pier is a truly splendid pier, with its fairly unique and charismatic façade. A real treasure on the Dorset coast, she is a very well loved and quite genteel attraction, situated in the heart of Bournemouth, with all its sandy beaches.
Yet this wonderful and grand pier actually came from very humble origins. The very first pier in Bournemouth was a simple jetty that was finished in 1856. Yet a mere 6 years later the jetty was replaced, with a longer pier, of wooden construction. Due to infestation by teredo worm, cast iron piles were installed in 1866 to replace the wooden ones. But the structure of the pier was simply not sound and in 1866, the landing stage was blown away, literally overnight, in a gale.
The remainder of the pier was replaced and in use until 1876, when a storm demolished even more of it, rendering it too short to accommodate steamboat traffic. Eventually a new and more fit for purpose pier was erected in 1880, following a series of ‘temporary’ arrangements. This was specifically designed to be more durable than the other piers had been. To make this happen, Eugene Birch, who had designed amongst other things the West Pier at Brighton.
Whilst not as long as many piers of that era, the pier was a decent 255 metres (838 feet or so) in length. Two extensions were built later, which took her up to around 305 metres (just over 1,000 feet).
Bournemouth Pier did have some quite good facilities, which gradually grew over time and soon she was home to a bandstand with concerts given by military bands on a regular basis.
Closed, like so many other piers during the war, she was then to re-open in 1946, having undergone some substantial repair work. Part of the pier had been demolished or had fallen into disrepair during the war as all efforts were directed to the war effort.
In 1950, she was treated to a refurbishment and survived well, until in 1976, it was discovered that she had suffered quite extensive corrosion and as a result, a major restoration programme began in 1979, to demolish most of the remaining building and replace it with more modern and up to date facilities, which were to be built on solid foundations, that would resist corrosion. The corrosion was surprising, given that Eugene Birch had designed it, however, the disrepair experienced during the war may have allowed the corrosion to take hold.
And so the modern, updated pier that is still in use today came into being!
Bournemouth Pier is home to a fantastic pier theatre, which plays host to some traditional seaside resort entertainment, comedians, magicians and singers all perform on a regular basis, with shows run several times a week. Some of these are reminiscence shows, whilst others feature old classics such as Chas and Dave or Marty Wilde.
What’s On – Bournemouth Pier Theatre
The pier itself is also home to a good restaurant, Key West, which is a licensed bar and restaurant which welcomes children and offers a more healthy and gourmet type of menu than in traditional seaside resorts, with menus featuring game pie and beef with locally produced blue cheese.
Prices are also quite reasonable.
Children can have hours of fun at the Children’s Funfair and there are some very up to date games to be played in the arcade. You can even try your hand at jet skiing without even getting your feet wet.
Similar to Eastbourne, Bournemouth is not home to a wild theme park or any large fairground, which makes it just that little bit different from so many of its contemporaries. It is just that little bit less dramatic and is almost a throwback to another time.
The theatre and the classical design of Bournemouth give it a sense of gentle decorum and although it has the arcade and the usual opportunities to partake of fish and chips or ice cream, it is also a rather sedate pier, when set aside many others.
When at the pier, in season, you could take a ride on the fabulous Dorset Belle and have a trip around the bay. Nature lovers will love this, because not only do you get to see the pier and Bournemouth from the water, but also there are some really good opportunities to see different kinds of birds and perhaps even some kind of form of marine life? It is a trip not to be missed and steam enthusiasts will be delighted by the fact that the Dorset Belle is a paddle steamer.
Many people hold Bournemouth and Bournemouth Pier very close to their hearts. There is even a website dedicated to sharing memories of the pier, so that in some way there can be a recognition of the role that this pier has played in so many people’s lives.
Similar to Eastbourne, Bournemouth is more refined and perhaps just that little bit more refined than many seaside piers and this makes it just that little bit more special. Some people put this down to the fact that she has a theatre at the end of the pier and that this livens it up in a way that simply can’t happen in other piers.
Who knows if this is the case, but it is a great place to visit and somehow there always seems a little bit of nostalgia associated with Bournemouth. There is something very special about a slow walk down the pier, looking out towards the sea and the great expanse of water. At night somehow the pier takes on a life of her own and seems quite resplendent in her glory.
Open all year round, but with only limited shows in the theatre out of season, Bournemouth offers a tremendous day out for all the family and really shouldn’t be missed.
If you do want brash and loud then Bournemouth is not the place to come, but if you simply like the idea of quite a gentle and quite traditional pier, without the shrieks from the fairground, then Bournemouth Pier is sure to delight.
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Instagram @roberto.bertero
Night shot obtained zooming out with my lens, from 40mm to 17mm, during an exposure time of only 30 seconds, ISO 6400. Obviously camera on tripod.
Shot taken in the far September 27th 2011 while I was wandering during the night at the foot of Mount Paterno (Dolomites), whose tormented ridges look also as visually drag during the use of my zoom.
On the left, the more brilliant line is generated by planet Jupiter. The gas giant in our solar system that shines, especially on moonless nights, more than any star because of its "proximity" to the Earth.
Therefore, I hope it is clear, nothing to do with the star trail technique, which itself is often largely misunderstood. In that case you need to set a long exposure of at least 15 minutes up to what you want, also a few hours, by pointing your camera towards the Polaris in the Northern Hemisphere, or Sigma Octantis if your are in the Southern Hemisphere, then you obtain concentric trails. Also it is possible to point the camera toward any other cardinal point in order to get more "parallel" trails the more you get closer to the celestial equator.
Instead, in this shot the trails appear to come from a single point, as a sort of Big Bang structure, which wouldn't be obtainable in any other way except that zooming during exposure.
The fact of being able to get a similar shot in just 30 seconds (without having to wait hours!) undoubtedly has its advantages. An image like this definitely belongs within the field of abstract photography... this implies it may be necessary to make a few attempts before to get a "making sense" dialogue between the various elements visible and less visible to the naked eye.
Here it seemed to me that the shining Jupiter on the left, the ridges of Paterno at the bottom as well as on the right, and the central "point of origin", due to the lens zooming, contribute to create a logical structure in the overall image (hopefully also with a symbolic meaning).
_____________________
©Roberto Bertero, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
Tenth picture of my series Origin.
(This time in a 1:1 view, focusing foreground in this trunk that was close to the shore, returning to the sea)
Who among us has not ever asked yourself: What are we? Where we come from? and where do we go?
A very simple and purely material response might be:
We are sea water sea we come and we will return to the sea. And it always reminds me of the connections that our internal environment with the sea.
Connections that obey biological facts of universal and eternal proportions that are unquestionable.
Picture taken just a minutes before the sunset in La Garrofera Beach from Valencia, this wonderful natural and wild beach belongs to the Albufera Natural Park.
On the technical side, say that I only used a neutral gradient three steps filter.
I hope you like it. Have a nice Tuesday. :)
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I swirled the water around inside the bowl of this leaf to get this shot. This one was the most amusing--like it has a little mouth or something.
The original Origins
Una botella de 330 ml de cerveza Stella Artois. Cerveza de origen Belgica.
A 330 ml bottle of Stella Artois beer. Beer of origin Belgium.
Fire is very present in the Mediterranean environment because it is a pagan element of renewal. Many festivals celebrate fire shows such as the "correfoc" (fire-run), a Catalan term that defines a parade in which characters dressed as devils parade with pyrotechnic elements that literally spit fire and to which people join to dance under the sparks thrown by their infernal instruments.
Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, often referred to internationally as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace.[3][4] Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital",[5] and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.[6]
According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240,[1] while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824.[1] Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,104,460 inhabitants.[1]
Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe;[7] its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland.[7] The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general,[8] and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital.[8] Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.[9] Thessaloniki is the 2014 European Youth Capital.[10]
Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessaloniki's history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.[11]
Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party city worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.[12] For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide,[13] while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.
Etymology
All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη (from Θεσσαλός, Thessalos, and Νίκη, Nike), literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great, so named because of her birth on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (353/352 BCE).[16]
The alternative name Salonica (or Salonika) derives from the variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in popular Greek speech, and has given rise to the form of the city's name in several languages. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Солѹнь (Solun) in Old Church Slavonic, סלוניקה (Salonika) in Ladino, Selanik (also Selânik) in Turkish (سلانیك in Ottoman Turkish), Solun (also written as Солун) in the local and neighboring South Slavic languages, Салоники (Saloníki) in Russian, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark and deep L characteristic of Macedonian Greek accent.[17][18]
The name often appears in writing in the abbreviated form Θεσ/νίκη
History
From antiquity to the Roman Empire
The city was founded around 315 BC by the King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and 26 other local villages.[20] He named it after his wife Thessalonike,[21] a half-sister of Alexander the Great and princess of Macedon as daughter of Philip II. Under the kingdom of Macedon the city retained its own autonomy and parliament[22] and evolved to become the most important city in Macedon.[21]
After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, Thessalonica became a free city of the Roman Republic under Mark Antony in 41 BC.[21][23] It grew to be an important trade-hub located on the Via Egnatia,[24] the road connecting Dyrrhachium with Byzantium,[25] which facilitated trade between Thessaloniki and great centers of commerce such as Rome and Byzantium.[26] Thessaloniki also lay at the southern end of the main north-south route through the Balkans along the valleys of the Morava and Axios river valleys, thereby linking the Balkans with the rest of Greece.[27] The city later became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.[24] Later it became the capital of all the Greek provinces of the Roman Empire due to the city's importance in the Balkan peninsula. When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, Thessaloniki became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar,[28][29] where Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.[29][30][31]
In 379 when the Roman Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.[24] In 390 Gothic troops under the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the inhabitants of Thessalonica, who had risen in revolt against the Germanic soldiers. With the Fall of Rome in 476, Thessaloniki became the second-largest city of the Eastern Roman Empire.[26] Around the time of the Roman Empire Thessaloniki was also an important center for the spread of Christianity; some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians written by Paul the Apostle is the first written book of the New Testament.
Byzantine era and Middle Ages
From the first years of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki was considered the second city in the Empire after Constantinople,[33][34][35] both in terms of wealth and size.[33] with an population of 150,000 in the mid 1100s.[36] The city held this status until it was transferred to Venice in 1423. In the 14th century the city's population exceeded 100,000 to 150,000,[37][38][39] making it larger than London at the time.[40]
During the 6th and 7th centuries the area around Thessaloniki was invaded by Avars and Slavs, who unsuccessfully laid siege to the city several times.[41] Traditional historiography stipulates that many Slavs settled in the hinterland of Thessaloniki,[42] however, this migration was allegedly on a much smaller scale than previously thought.[42][42][43] In the 9th century, the Byzantine Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius, both natives of the city, created the first literary language of the Slavs, the Glagolic alphabet, most likely based on the Slavic dialect used in the hinterland of their hometown.[44][45][46][47][48]
An Arab naval attack in 904 resulted in the sack of the city.[49] The economic expansion of the city continued through the 12th century as the rule of the Komnenoi emperors expanded Byzantine control to the north. Thessaloniki passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204,[50] when Constantinople was captured by the forces of the Fourth Crusade and incorporated the city and its surrounding territories in the Kingdom of Thessalonica[51] — which then became the largest vassal of the Latin Empire. In 1224, the Kingdom of Thessalonica was overrun by the Despotate of Epirus, a remnant of the former Byzantine Empire, under Theodore Komnenos Doukas who crowned himself Emperor,[52] and the city became the Despotat's capital.[52][53] This era of the Despotate of Epirus is also known as the Empire of Thessalonica.[52][54][55] Following his defeat at Klokotnitsa however in 1230,[52][54] the Empire of Thessalonica became a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire until it was recovered again in 1246, this time by the Nicaean Empire.[52] In 1342,[56] the city saw the rise of the Commune of the Zealots, an anti-aristocratic party formed of sailors and the poor,[57] which is nowadays described as social-revolutionary.[56] The city was practically independent of the rest of the Empire,[56][57][58] as it had its own government, a form of republic.[56] The zealot movement was overthrown in 1350 and the city was reunited with the rest of the Empire.[56]
In 1423, Despot Andronicus, who was in charge of the city, ceded it to the Republic of Venice with the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans who were besieging the city (there is no evidence to support the oft-repeated story that he sold the city to them). The Venetians held Thessaloniki until it was captured by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430.
Ottoman period
When Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki and sacked it in 1430, contemporary reports estimated that about one-fifth of the city's population was enslaved.[60] Upon the conquest of Thessaloniki, some of its inhabitants escaped,[61] including intellectuals such as Theodorus Gaza "Thessalonicensis" and Andronicus Callistus.[62] However, the change of sovereignty from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman one did not affect the city's prestige as a major imperial city and trading hub.[63][64] Thessaloniki and Smyrna, although smaller in size than Constantinople, were the Ottoman Empire's most important trading hubs.[63] Thessaloniki's importance was mostly in the field of shipping,[63] but also in manufacturing,[64] while most of the city's trade was controlled by ethnic Greeks.[63]
During the Ottoman period, the city's population of mainly Greek Jews and Ottoman Muslims (including those of Turkish and Albanian, as well as Bulgarian Muslim and Greek Muslim convert origin) grew substantially. By 1478 Selânik (سلانیك), as the city came to be known in Ottoman Turkish, had a population of 4,320 Muslims, 6,094 Greek Orthodox and some Catholics, but no Jews. Soon after the turn of the 15th to 16th century, nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews had immigrated to Greece from Spain following their expulsion by the 1492 Alhambra Decree.[65] By c. 1500, the numbers had grown to 7,986 Greeks, 8,575 Muslims, and 3,770 Jews. By 1519, Sephardic Jews numbered 15,715, 54% of the city's population. Some historians consider the Ottoman regime's invitation to Jewish settlement was a strategy to prevent the ethnic Greek population (Eastern Orthodox Christians) from dominating the city.[38]
Thessaloniki was the capital of the Sanjak of Selanik within the wider Rumeli Eyalet (Balkans)[66] until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Eyalet (after 1867, the Selanik Vilayet).[67][68] This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serres and Drama between 1826 and 1912.[69] Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826, regular Ottoman soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary base in Thessaloniki while also killing over 10,000 Janissaries, an event known as The Auspicious Incident in Ottoman history.[70] From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.[71]
The last few decades of Ottoman control over the city were an era of revival, particularly in terms of the city's infrastructure. It was at that time that the Ottoman administration of the city acquired an "official" face with the creation of the Command Post[72] while a number of new public buildings were built in the eclectic style in order to project the European face both of Thessaloniki and the Ottoman Empire.[72][73] The city walls were torn down between 1869 and 1889,[74] efforts for a planned expansion of the city are evident as early as 1879,[75] the first tram service started in 1888[76] and the city streets were illuminated with electric lamp posts in 1908.[77] In 1888 Thessaloniki was connected to Central Europe via rail through Belgrade, Monastir in 1893 and Constantinople in 1896.
Since the 20th century
In the early 20th century, Thessaloniki was in the center of radical activities by various groups; the Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, founded in 1897,[78] and the Greek Macedonian Committee, founded in 1903.[79] In 1903 an anarchist group known as the Boatmen of Thessaloniki planted bombs in several buildings in Thessaloniki, including the Ottoman Bank, with some assistance from the IMRO. The Greek consulate in Ottoman Thessaloniki (now the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle) served as the center of operations for the Greek guerillas. In 1908 the Young Turks movement broke out in the city, sparking the Young Turk Revolution.[80]
The Ottoman Feth-i Bülend being sunk in Thessaloniki in 1912 by a Greek ship during the First Balkan War.
Constantine I of Greece with George I of Greece and the Greek army enter the city.
As the First Balkan War broke out, Greece declared war on the Ottoman Empire and expanded its borders. When Eleftherios Venizelos, Prime Minister at the time, was asked if the Greek army should move towards Thessaloniki or Monastir (now Bitola, Republic of Macedonia), Venizelos replied "Salonique à tout prix!" (Thessaloniki, at all costs!).[81] As both Greece and Bulgaria wanted Thessaloniki, the Ottoman garrison of the city entered negotiations with both armies.[82] On 8 November 1912 (26 October Old Style), the feast day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the Greek Army accepted the surrender of the Ottoman garrison at Thessaloniki.[83] The Bulgarian army arrived one day after the surrender of the city to Greece and Tahsin Pasha, ruler of the city, told the Bulgarian officials that "I have only one Thessaloniki, which I have surrendered".[82] After the Second Balkan War, Thessaloniki and the rest of the Greek portion of Macedonia were officially annexed to Greece by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.[84] On 18 March 1913 George I of Greece was assassinated in the city by Alexandros Schinas.[85]
In 1915, during World War I, a large Allied expeditionary force established a base at Thessaloniki for operations against pro-German Bulgaria.[86] This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian Front, also known as the Salonika Front.[87][88] In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers and civilians, with the support of the Allies, launched an uprising,[89] creating a pro-Allied[90] temporary government by the name of the "Provisional Government of National Defence"[89][91] that controlled the "New Lands" (lands that were gained by Greece in the Balkan Wars, most of Northern Greece including Greek Macedonia, the North Aegean as well as the island of Crete);[89][91] the official government of the King in Athens, the "State of Athens",[89] controlled "Old Greece"[89][91] which were traditionally monarchist. The State of Thessaloniki was disestablished with the unification of the two opposing Greek governments under Venizelos, following the abdication of King Constantine in 1917.[86][91]
The 1st Battalion of the National Defence army marches on its way to the front.
Aerial picture of the Great Fire of 1917.
Most of the old center of the city was destroyed by the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, which started accidentally by an unattended kitchen fire on 18 August 1917.[92] The fire swept through the centre of the city, leaving 72,000 people homeless; according to the Pallis Report, most of them were Jewish (50,000). Many businesses were destroyed, as a result, 70% of the population were unemployed.[92] Also a number of religious structures of the three major faiths were lost. Nearly one-quarter of the total population of approximately 271,157 became homeless.[92] Following the fire the government prohibited quick rebuilding, so it could implement the new redesign of the city according to the European-style urban plan[6] prepared by a group of architects, including the Briton Thomas Mawson, and headed by French architect Ernest Hébrard.[92] Property values fell from 6.5 million Greek drachmas to 750,000.[93]
After the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War and during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, a population exchange took place between Greece and Turkey.[90] Over 160,000 ethnic Greeks deported from the former Ottoman Empire were resettled in the city,[90] changing its demographics. Additionally many of the city's Muslims were deported to Turkey, ranging at about 20,000 people.[94]
During World War II Thessaloniki was heavily bombarded by Fascist Italy (with 232 people dead, 871 wounded and over 800 buildings damaged or destroyed in November 1940 alone),[95] and, the Italians having failed to succeed in their invasion of Greece, it fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on 8 April 1941[96] and remained under German occupation until 30 October 1944 when it was liberated by the Greek People's Liberation Army.[97] The Nazis soon forced the Jewish residents into a ghetto near the railroads and on 15 March 1943 began the deportation process of the city's 56,000 Jews to its concentration camps.[98][99] They deported over 43,000 of the city's Jews in concentration camps,[98] where most were killed in the gas chambers. The Germans also deported 11,000 Jews to forced labor camps, where most perished.[100] Only 1,200 Jews live in the city today.
Part of Eleftherias Square during the Axis occupation.
The importance of Thessaloniki to Nazi Germany can be demonstrated by the fact that, initially, Hitler had planned to incorporate it directly in the Third Reich[101] (that is, make it part of Germany) and not have it controlled by a puppet state such as the Hellenic State or an ally of Germany (Thessaloniki had been promised to Yugoslavia as a reward for joining the Axis on 25 March 1941).[102] Having been the first major city in Greece to fall to the occupying forces just two days after the German invasion, it was in Thessaloniki that the first Greek resistance group was formed (under the name «Ελευθερία», Eleftheria, "Freedom")[103] as well as the first anti-Nazi newspaper in an occupied territory anywhere in Europe,[104] also by the name Eleftheria. Thessaloniki was also home to a military camp-converted-concentration camp, known in German as "Konzentrationslager Pavlo Mela" (Pavlos Melas Concentration Camp),[105] where members of the resistance and other non-favourable people towards the German occupation from all over Greece[105] were held either to be killed or sent to concentration camps elsewhere in Europe.[105] In the 1946 monarchy referendum, the majority of the locals voted in favour of a republic, contrary to the rest of Greece.[106]
After the war, Thessaloniki was rebuilt with large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Many of its architectural treasures still remain, adding value to the city as a tourist destination, while several early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988.[107] In 1997, Thessaloniki was celebrated as the European Capital of Culture,[108] sponsoring events across the city and the region. Agency established to oversee the cultural activities of that year 1997 was still in existence by 2010.[109] In 2004 the city hosted a number of the football events as part of the 2004 Summer Olympics.[110]
Today Thessaloniki has become one of the most important trade and business hubs in Southeastern Europe, with its port, the Port of Thessaloniki being one of the largest in the Aegean and facilitating trade throughout the Balkan hinterland.[7] On 26 October 2012 the city celebrated its centennial since its incorporation into Greece.[111] The city also forms one of the largest student centres in Southeastern Europe, is host to the largest student population in Greece and will be the European Youth Capital in 2014
Geography
Geology
Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. Its proximity to imposing mountain ranges, hills and fault lines, especially towards its southeast have historically made the city prone to geological changes.
Since medieval times, Thessaloniki was hit by strong earthquakes, notably in 1759, 1902, 1978 and 1995.[113] On 19–20 June 1978, the city suffered a series of powerful earthquakes, registering 5.5 and 6.5 on the Richter scale.[114][115] The tremors caused considerable damage to a number of buildings and ancient monuments,[114] but the city withstood the catastrophe without any major problems.[115] One apartment building in central Thessaloniki collapsed during the second earthquake, killing many, raising the final death toll to 51.[114][115]
Climate
Thessaloniki's climate is directly affected by the sea it is situated on.[116] The city lies in a transitional climatic zone, so its climate displays characteristics of several climates. According to the Köppen climate classification, it is a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) that borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk), with annual average precipitation of 450 millimetres (18 in) due to the Pindus rain shadow drying the westerly winds. However, the city has a summer precipitation between 20 to 30 millimetres (0.79 to 1.18 in), which borders it close to a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa).
Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Snowfalls are sporadic, but οccur more or less every winter, but the snow cover does not last for more than a few days. Fog is common, with an average of 193 foggy days in a year.[117] During the coldest winters, temperatures can drop to −10 °C (14 °F).[117] The record minimum temperature in Thessaloniki was −14 °C (7 °F).[118] On average, Thessaloniki experiences frost (sub-zero temperature) 32 days a year.[117] The coldest month of the year in the city is January, with an average 24-hour temperature of 6 °C (43 °F).[119] Wind is also usual in the winter months, with December and January having an average wind speed of 26 km/h (16 mph).[117]
Thessaloniki's summers are hot with rather humid nights.[117] Maximum temperatures usually rise above 30 °C (86 °F),[117] but rarely go over 40 °C (104 °F);[117] the average number of days the temperature is above 32 °C (90 °F) is 32.[117] The maximum recorded temperature in the city was 42 °C (108 °F).[117][118] Rain seldom falls in summer, mainly during thunderstorms. In the summer months Thessaloniki also experiences strong heat waves.[120] The hottest month of the year in the city is July, with an average 24-hour temperature of 26 °C (79 °F).[119] The average wind speed for June and July in Thessaloniki is 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph)
Government
According to the Kallikratis reform, as of 1 January 2011 the Thessaloniki Urban Area (Greek: Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Θεσσαλονίκης) which makes up the "City of Thessaloniki", is made up of six self-governing municipalities (Greek: Δήμοι) and one municipal unit (Greek: Δημοτική ενότητα). The municipalities that are included in the Thessaloniki Urban Area are those of Thessaloniki (the city center and largest in population size), Kalamaria, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Kordelio-Evosmos, Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, and the municipal unit of Pylaia, part of the municipality of Pylaia-Chortiatis. Prior to the Kallikratis reform, the Thessaloniki Urban Area was made up of twice as many municipalities, considerably smaller in size, which created bureaucratic problems.[123]
Thessaloniki Municipality
The municipality of Thessaloniki (Greek: Δήμος Θεσαλονίκης) is the second most populous in Greece, after Athens, with a population of 322,240[1] people (in 2011) and an area of 17.832 km2 (7 sq mi). The municipality forms the core of the Thessaloniki Urban Area, with its central district (the city center), referred to as the Kentro, meaning 'center' or 'downtown'.
The institution of mayor of Thessaloniki was inaugurated under the Ottoman Empire, in 1912. The first mayor of Thessaloniki was Osman Sait Bey, while the current mayor of the municipality of Thessaloniki is Yiannis Boutaris. In 2011, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a budget of €464.33 million[124] while the budget of 2012 stands at €409.00 million.[125]
According to an article in The New York Times, the way in which the present mayor of Thessaloniki is treating the city's debt and oversized administration problems could be used as an example by Greece's central government for a successful strategy in dealing with these problems.[126]
Other
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. It is an influential city for the northern parts of the country and is the capital of the region of Central Macedonia and the Thessaloniki regional unit. The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is also based in Thessaloniki, being that the city is the de facto capital of the Greek region of Macedonia.
It is customary every year for the Prime Minister of Greece to announce his administration's policies on a number of issues, such as the economy, at the opening night of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. In 2010, during the first months of the 2010 Greek debt crisis, the entire cabinet of Greece met in Thessaloniki to discuss the country's future.[127]
In the Hellenic Parliament, the Thessaloniki urban area constitutes a 16-seat constituency. As of the national elections of 17 June 2012 the largest party in Thessaloniki is New Democracy with 27.8%, followed by the Coalition of the Radical Left (27.0%) and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (10.2%).[128] The table below summarizes the results of the latest elections.
Cityscape
Architecture
Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the Balkans. Aside from its commercial importance, Thessaloniki was also for many centuries the military and administrative hub of the region, and beyond this the transportation link between Europe and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel / Palestine). Merchants, traders and refugees from all over Europe settled in the city. The need for commercial and public buildings in this new era of prosperity led to the construction of large edifices in the city center. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories. Architects who designed some of the most notable buildings of the city, in the late 19th and early 20th century, include Vitaliano Poselli, Pietro Arrigoni, Xenophon Paionidis, Eli Modiano, Moshé Jacques, Jean Joseph Pleyber, Frederic Charnot, Ernst Ziller, Roubens Max, Levi Ernst, Angelos Siagas and others, using mainly the styles of Eclecticism and Art Nouveau.
The city layout changed after 1870, when the seaside fortifications gave way to extensive piers, and many of the oldest walls of the city were demolished, including those surrounding the White Tower, which today stands as the main landmark of the city. As parts of the early Byzantine walls were demolished, this allowed the city to expand east and west along the coast.[129]
The expansion of Eleftherias Square towards the sea completed the new commercial hub of the city and at the time was considered one of the most vibrant squares of the city. As the city grew, workers moved to the western districts, due to their proximity to factories and industrial activities; while the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-center to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably for 32 hours.[71] It destroyed the city's historic center and a large part of its architectural heritage, but paved the way for modern development and allowed Thessaloniki the development of a proper European city center, featuring wider diagonal avenues and monumental squares; which the city initially lacked – much of what was considered to be 'essential' in European architecture.
City Center
After the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, a team of architects and urban planners including Thomas Mawson and Ernest Hebrard, a French architect, chose the Byzantine era as the basis of their (re)building designs for Thessaloniki's city center. The new city plan included axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares, with a street grid that would channel traffic smoothly. The plan of 1917 included provisions for future population expansions and a street and road network that would be, and still is sufficient today.[71] It contained sites for public buildings and provided for the restoration of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.
The Metropolitan Church of Saint Gregory Palamas, designed by Ernst Ziller.
Today the city center of Thessaloniki includes the features designed as part of the plan and forms the point in the city where most of the public buildings, historical sites, entertainment venues and stores are located. The center is characterized by its many historical buildings, arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which can be seen on many of its buildings.
Also called the historic center, it is divided into several districts, of which include Ladadika (where many entertainment venues and tavernas are located), Kapani (were the city's central city market is located), Diagonios, Navarinou, Rotonta, Agia Sofia and Ippodromio (white tower), which are all located around Thessaloniki's most central point, Aristotelous Square.
The west point of the city center is home to Thessaloniki's law courts, its central international railway station and the port, while on its eastern side stands the city's two universities, the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center, the city's main stadium, its archaeological and Byzantine museums, the new city hall and its central parklands and gardens, namely those of the ΧΑΝΘ/Palios Zoologikos Kipos and Pedio tou Areos. The central road arteries that pass through the city center, designed in the Ernest Hebrard plan, include those of Tsimiski, Egnatia, Nikis, Mitropoleos, Venizelou and St. Demetrius avenues.
Ano Poli
Ano Poli (also called Old Town and literally the Upper Town) is the heritage listed district north of Thessaloniki's city center that was not engulfed by the great fire of 1917 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by ministerial actions of Melina Merkouri, during the 1980s. It consists of Thessaloniki's most traditional part of the city, still featuring small stone paved streets, old squares and homes featuring old Greek and Ottoman architecture.
Ano Poli also, is the highest point in Thessaloniki and as such, is the location of the city's acropolis, its Byzantine fort, the Heptapyrgion, a large portion of the city's remaining walls, and with many of its additional Ottoman and Byzantine structures still standing. The area provides access to the Seich Sou Forest National Park[131] and features amphitheatric views of the whole city and the Thermaic Gulf. On clear days Mount Olympus, at about 100 km (62 mi) away across the gulf, can also be seen towering the horizon.
Southeastern Thessaloniki up until the 1920s was home to the city's most affluent residents and formed the outermost suburbs of the city at the time, with the area close to the Thermaic Gulf coast called Exoches, from the 19th century holiday villas which defined the area. Today southeastern Thessaloniki has in some way become a natural extension of the city center, with the avenues of Megalou Alexandrou, Georgiou Papandreou (Antheon), Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Delfon, Konstantinou Karamanli (Nea Egnatia) and Papanastasiou passing through it, enclosing an area traditionally called Dépôt (Ντεπώ), from the name of the old tram station, owned by a French company. The area extends to Kalamaria and Pylaia, about 9 km (5.59 mi) from the White Tower in the city centre.
Some of the most notable mansions and villas of the old-era of the city remain along Vasilissis Olgas Avenue. Built for the most wealthy residents and designed by well known architects they are used today as museums, art galleries or remain as private properties. Some of them include Villa Bianca, Villa Ahmet Kapanci, Villa Modiano, Villa Mordoch, Villa Mehmet Kapanci, Hatzilazarou Mansion, Chateau Mon Bonheur (often called red tower) and others.
Most of southeastern Thessaloniki is characterized by its modern architecture and apartment buildings, home to the middle-class and more than half of the municipality of Thessaloniki population. Today this area of the city is also home to 3 of the city's main football stadiums, the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Posidonio aquatic and athletic complex, the Naval Command post of Northern Greece and the old royal palace (called Palataki), located on the most westerly point of Karabournaki cape. The municipality of Kalamaria is also located in southeastern Thessaloniki and has become this part of the city's most sought after areas, with many open spaces and home to high end bars, cafés and entertainment venues, most notably on Plastira street, along the coast
Northwestern Thessaloniki had always been associated with industry and the working class because as the city grew during the 1920s, many workers had moved there, due to its proximity near factories and industrial activities. Today many factories and industries have been moved further out west and the area is experiencing rapid growth as does the southeast. Many factories in this area have been converted to cultural centres, while past military grounds that are being surrounded by densely built neighborhoods are awaiting transformation into parklands.
Northwest Thessaloniki forms the main entry point into the city of Thessaloniki with the avenues of Monastiriou, Lagkada and 26is Octovriou passing through it, as well as the extension of the A1 motorway, feeding into Thessaloniki's city center. The area is home to the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal (KTEL), the Zeitenlik Allied memorial military cemetery and to large entertainment venues of the city, such as Milos, Fix, Vilka (which are housed in converted old factories). Northwestern Thessaloniki is also home to Moni Lazariston, located in Stavroupoli, which today forms one of the most important cultural centers for the city.
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Placed in the middle of an eminently cave place, Segesta's former Greek city seems protected by the shepherds' herds and now for the tourists.
It’s origin is still uncertain and an area of discussions among the historians.
The thesis that has prevailed till now is that Segesta was populated by the elimi, a people that was here previous to the Greeks, that had Hellenized the accession from the XIIth a.c, when they arfrived into Sicily.
From 580 a.c. there is had witness of the continuous disputes with the people of Selinunte's rival colony that finished with the destruction of the last one together with Gela and Himera in 409 a.c. for the support that finally the Carthaginians offered Segesta.
Later, obblied by Syracuse to rebel against Cártago, it finished destroyed in 306 a.c.
From what nowadays it is possible to recognize of the Greek Segesta, the Doric temple stands out especially.
In spite of its greatness and its perfect condition of conservation the temple would be unfinished possibly for the shortage of resources due to the war between Segesta and Saliunte that would force to postpone its completion.
Nevertheless, nowadays there is certain consensus on the theory that promulgates that it’s not really a temple, but of a colonnade raised to solemnize an already sacred place for the elimi.
In any case the set is formed by 36 columns crowned by a smooth architrave and a Doric frieze with measuring 61×26 meters.
A beauty to be visited
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TEMPIO DI SAGESTA
Situata in mezzo ad un paraggio eminentemente rupestre, l'antica città greca di Segesta sembra tutelata per greggi di pastori ed ora per i turisti.
La sua origine è ancora incerta e faretto di discussioni tra gli storiografi.
Fino ad ora la tesi che ha prevalso è che Segesta fu popolato per i Elimi, un paese anteriore ai greci che avessero elenizati l'insediamento dal XII a.c, quando arrivarono in Sicilia.
Dal 580 a.c. si ha certeza delle continue dispute con la colonia di Selinunte che finì con la sua distruzione insieme a Gela e Himera nel 409 a.c. per l'appoggio che finalmente i cartaginesi offrirono a Segesta.
Posteriormente, vedendosi obbligata per Siracusa a ribellarsi contro Cártago, finì distrutta nel 306 a.c.
Di quello che attualmente può riconoscersi della greco Segesta sottolinea soprattutto il tempio dorico.
A dispetto della sua grandiosità ed il suo perfetto stato di conservazione il tempio sarebbe incompiuto possibilmente per la scarsità di risorse per la guerra tra Segesta e Saliunte che obbligherebbe a posporre il suo finalización.
Tuttavia, c'è attualmente un certo consenso sulla teoria che promulga che non si tratta realmente di un tempio, bensì di un colonnato alzato per solennizzare già un posto rifugio per i élimos.
In qualsiasi caso l'insieme è formato di 36 colonne incoronate per un'architrave liscia ed un fregio dorico e misura 61×26 metri
Una belleza da visitare.
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TEMPLO DE SEGESTA
Situada en medio de un paraje eminentemente rupestre, la antigua ciudad griega de Segesta parece tutelada por rebaños de pastores y ahora por los turistas.
Su origen es aún incierto y foco de discusiones entre los historiadores.
La tesis que ha prevalecido hasta ahora es que Segesta fue poblado por los élimos, un pueblo anterior a los griegos, que helenizaron el asentamiento desde el XII a.c, cuando llegaron a Sicilia.
Desde el 580 a.c. se tiene constancia de las continuas disputas con la colonia de Selinunte que terminó con su destrucción junto con Gela e Himera en el 409 a.c. por el apoyo que finalmente los cartagineses ofrecieron a Segesta.
Posteriormente, viéndose obligada por Siracusa a rebelarse contra Cártago, acabó destruida en el 306 a.c.
De lo que actualmente se puede reconocer de la griega Segesta destaca sobre todo el templo dórico.
Pese a su grandiosidad y su perfecto estado de conservación el templo estaría inacabado posiblemente por la escasez de recursos por la guerra entre Segesta y Saliunte que obligaría a posponer su finalización.
Sin embargo, actualmente hay cierto consenso sobre la teoría que promulga que no se trata realmente de un templo, sino de una columnata levantada para solemnizar un lugar ya sagrado para los élimos.
En cualquier caso el conjunto lo forman 36 columnas coronadas por un arquitrabe liso y un friso dórico con unas medidas de 61×26 metros
Una belleza que debe visitarse,
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Espero que os guste
Spero vi piaccia
Hope you like it
Espero us agradi
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