Thessaloniki (also called Saloniki or Salonika) is the second-largest city in Greece and an administrative center of the Greece region of Macedonia with a big port that is of utmost importance for Greece.
Thessaloniki is an important economic, political and industrial center with a population size of over 800 000 people (with suburbs) and is in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites for its rich history. The history of the city begins from 315 BC when the Macedonian king Cassander of Macedon founded the city on the site of the ancient town of Therma. Over the years, Thessaloniki is the capital of the one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia, an important commercial center of the Byzantine - the largest fief of the Latin Empire, was conquered by the Fourth Crusader conquest, a province of Venice, and captured by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II in 1430...
The city has a Mediterranean climate and during the winter temperatures can drop to -10C° but in summer they can grow up to 40C°.
The Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's history and its situation at the centre of the Balkans and it includes axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares.
Thessaloniki's airport - Makedonia International Airport - is 15 km is located about 15 km of the city centre and is the largest state owned and operated airport for both international and domestic flights in Greece.
Among the most famous attractions in Thessaloniki are:
* The White Tower - the symbol of the city and the sovereignty of Greece. Located on the seaside boulevard "Niki" on the shore of the Thermaic Gulf (Gulf of Salonica).
* The Byzantine Museum - housed in the White Tower;
* The Church of St. Demetrius - the largest Orthodox church in Thessaloniki. There are relics of St. Demetrius;
* The Galerius Arch - built to commemorate the victory of the Roman Emperor Galerius over the press;
* The fortress wall;
* The Rotunda of St. George.