The Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos, Greece

The spot where John wrote Revelation

A paleochristian diachronic typological series

Early Christian churches of Thessaloniki, Greece



The Rotunda, built in the 4th century, converted into a church in the 5th century, the minaret is from it's days as a mosque starting in the 16th century.



Inside the Rotunda



Inside the 5th Century Panagia Acheiropoietos



The 5th century Church of Hosios David



Ayios Dimitrios, originally from the 5th century it was destroyed and rebuilt a few times since then, always in the original plan. 5th, 7th, and 9th century traces still remain.



This inscription is from 1493 when Ayios Dimitrios was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans. It reads something like: "Sultan Bayezid the Conqueror consigns this house of God to the faithful. Commemorate Allah daily. Humble yourselves and pray, for God loves prayer."



The 7th century Ayia Sofia



The 11th century Panayia Halkeon



The 14th century Ayios Nikolaos Orfanos



Fresco of the geneology of the Virgin Mary from the 14th century church Dodeka Apostoli.


Thessaloniki was the second most important city in the Byzantine Empire(after Constantinople of course). When it fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks most of it's churches were converted into mosques and the mosaics and frescos were covered up. I'm not sure if this helped preserve them or destroy them. I always thought it actually helped preserve them but after compairing Thessaloniki with Ravenna (which didn't have the same problem) I would say it didn't do them any good.

Bitola, Macedonia

A ruined Ottoman mosque that someone has built a Christian shrine in front of. That pretty much sums up the attitude towards Muslims here in the south of Macedonia.



Another home cooked meal



Early Christian basilica in the nearby ruins of Heraclea Lyncestis



Mosaic floor of the basilica



I walked to the Greek border



Lonely shrine along the way