Thessaloniki’s Upper Town: A Puzzle of Cultures

Ano Poli or Upper Town, the enchanting traditional neighborhood of Thessaloniki, invites us on a captivating journey through time, guided by its magnificent monuments and rich history. Its narrow alleys, charming courtyards, Byzantine monasteries, well-preserved walls and distinctive architecture, all illuminate the Upper Town as a harmonious melting pot of diverse cultures that have left their mark throughout the ages.

During this educational tour, we will not only encounter remarkable monuments from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras but also breathe life into the people who once traversed the Upper Town’s historic streets across the centuries. The tour culminates with poignant narratives of the Asia Minor catastrophe and the vibrant individuals who, shortly thereafter, filled the region’s streets with their music, customs, and the promise of a new beginning. Each step within the Upper Town unveils a different facet of this multicultural, vivid, and nostalgic city, brimming with memories of bygone eras.

Target:
– getting to know important monuments
– understanding the importance of the cultural heritage of the place
– present-past connection
– development of historical thinking through the understanding of historical events
– understanding the multiculturalism and timelessness of a city

Interdisciplinarity and implementation in the courses of the Curriculum:
– History: We are discussing the History of the Byzantine Period, Byzantine UNESCO monuments (Walls and Vlatadon Monastery), the Ottoman Conquest, History of Ottoman Rule and Events of the Recent History such as the Asia Minor Catastrophe (refugee houses at the Byzantine city walls)
– Texts of Modern Greek literature (refugees etc.)