Roman Rotunda In Thessaloniki Reopens After Restoration

After a year of restoration works, the grand Rotunda of Thessaloniki, also known as the Church of Agios Georgios, reopened its doors on Friday 18th December 2015, with a concert to mark the much-awaited occasion.

The building, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1988, is one of the most important Roman monuments in the city and stands next to the Arch of Galerius.

This cylindrical structure was commissioned by Roman Emperor Galerius in 306 AD, who had planned for the structure to be his grave. Through its turbulent history, it served first as a Roman mausoleum, then as a Christian church and during the Ottoman era, as a mosque.

From 1920 until the end of WWII, the Rotunda housed the city's archeological treasures by serving as a museum.

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