Thessaloniki (, ), historically also known as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the periphery of Central Macedonia as well as the de facto administrative capital of the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital", a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire, alongside Constantinople. According to the 2001 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a population of 363,987, while its Urban Area had a population of 773,180. The Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) of Thessaloniki has an estimated 995,766 residents (2004), while its area is . With a history of over 2,300 years, it is one of Europe's oldest cities.

Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe; its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland. The city is renowned for its events and festivals, the most famous of which include the annual International Trade Fair, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.

Thessaloniki is considered northern Greece's cultural and educational centre. It is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessalonika, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and ranked among the best 250 universities in Europe.

Etymology

inscription reading "To Queen Thessalonice, (Daughter) of Philip".]]

All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Greek: , literally translating to "Thessalian Victory" and in origin the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, who was so named because she was born on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field. The alternative name Salonika, formerly the common name used in some western European languages, is derived from a variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in popular Greek speech. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Salonika in Ladino, Selânik in Turkish, Solun in Bulgarian and the other South Slavic languages, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark l characteristic of Macedonian Greek. The name is often written in the abbreviated form Θεσ/νίκη, and is sometimes colloquially shortened to Thess.

History

The history of the city of Thessaloniki is a long one, dating back to the Ancient Greeks. Since the opening of borders in Southeastern Europe following the collapse of Communism in Balkans in the early 1990s, it is experiencing a strong revival.

Antiquity - Hellenistic era

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. He named it after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great (Thessalo-nikē meaning "Thessalian Victory") (See Battle of Crocus field). Under the kingdom of Macedon the city retained its own autonomy and parliament.

After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, Thessalonica became a city of the Roman Republic. It grew to be an important trade-hub located on the Via Egnatia, the road connecting Dyrrhachium and Constantinople which facilitated trade between Europe and Asia. The city became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia. a Renaissance humanist and scholar of the 15th century from Thessaloniki.]]

The economic expansion of the city continued through the 12th century as the rule of the KomnenoiThe 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, when Constantinople was captured by the forces of the Fourth Crusadeand incorporated the city and its surrounding territories in the Kingdom of Thessalonica — which then became the largest vassal of the Latin Empire. In 1224, the Latin kingdom was overrun by the Despotate of Epirus and several years later, the Epirote ruler Theodore Komnenos Doukas crowned himself Byzantine emperor in the city. Following his defeat at Klokotnitsa however in 1230, the Kingdom of Thessalonica became a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire but was again recovered in 1246, this time by the Nicaean Empire. In the 1340s, the city was the scene of an anti-aristocratic Commune of the Zealots.

In 1423, Despot Andronicus, who was in charge of the city, ceded it to the Republic of Venice in 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 the 29th of March, 1430.

Ottoman period

Murad II took Thessaloniki with a brutal massacre and enslaved roughly one-fifth of the city's native population. Upon the capture and plunder of Thessaloniki, many of its inhabitants escaped, including intellectuals such as Theodorus Gaza “Thessalonicensis” and Andronicus Callistus. During the Ottoman period, the city's Muslim and Jewish population grew. 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 16th century, nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews had immigrated to Greece from Spain following their expulsion. Feth-i Bülend being sunk in Thessaloniki in 1912.]] Selanik was a sanjak capital in Rumeli Eyaleti (Balkans) until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Vilayeti (between 1826 and 1864 Selanik Eyaleti). This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serres and Drama between 1826 and 1912. Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826, regular Ottoman soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary bases, an event known as The Auspicious Incident in Ottoman history. From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.

20th century onwards

, political leader of the Movement of National Defence in Thessaloniki, inspects Greek troops on the Macedonian front during the First World War.]]

During the First Balkan War, on 26 October 1912 (Old Style), the feast day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the Greek Army accepted the surrender of the Ottoman garrison at Thessalonika; after the Second Balkan War, Thessaloniki was annexed to Greece by the Treaty of Bucharest (1913).

In 1915, during World War I, a large Allied expeditionary force established a base at Thessaloniki for operations against pro-German Bulgaria. This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian or Salonika Front. In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers and civilians, with the support of the Allies, launched the Movement of National Defence, creating a pro-Allied temporary government by the name of the "State of Thessaloniki" 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). As many businesses were destroyed, it resulted to 70% of the population being unemployed, while 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. 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 prepared by French architect Ernest Hébrard. Because of their losses and unable to wait for the rebuilding of the new plan, nearly half of the Jewish Greek population emigrated to France, the United States and Palestine. After the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War and during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, Greeks were expelled from Turkey and many refugees came to Thessaloniki. Nearly 100,000 ethnic Greeks resettled in the city, changing its demographics. After this, Jews made up about 20% of the city's population. During the interwar period, Greece granted Jews full civil rights, the same as all other Greek citizens.

During World War II, Thessaloniki fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on April 22, 1941 and remained under German occupation until October 30, 1944 when it was liberated by the Greek People's Liberation Army. The Nazis soon forced the Jews into a ghetto near the railroads and in 1943 began deportation of 50,000 of the city's Jews (95% of the Jewish population) to its concentration camps. They deported and killed 50,000 of the city's Jews in concentration camps, where most were murdered in the gas chambers. The Germans also deported 11,000 Jews to forced labor camps, where most perished. The tremor caused considerable damage to several buildings and ancient monuments, but the city withstood the catastrophe without any major problems. BBC weather for data of sunshine hours | date = March 2011}}

Cityscape

is the tallest building in the city.]] 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 centre. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories.

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. As parts of the early Byzantine walls were demolished, this allowed the city to expand east and west along the coast.

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 near factories and industrial activities; while the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-centre to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably for 32 hours. It destroyed the city's historic centre and a large part of its architectural heritage, but paved way for many modern buildings and changed the city into a thriving European city centre.

Kentro - City Centre

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 centre. 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. The evolution of Imperial Byzantine architecture and the prosperity of Thessaloniki go hand in hand, especially during the first years of the Empire, During that time, the city saw the creation of more notable Christian churches that are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki. that the city faces. More specifically, the program will drastically change the physiognomy of the city redeveloping the coastal front of the city,

Government

Local government

According to the Kallikratis reform, as of 1 January 2011 the Thessaloniki Urban Area () which makes up the "City of Thessaloniki", is made up of six self-governing municipalities () and one municipal unit (). The municipalities that are included in the Thessaloniki Urban Area are those of Thessaloniki (the city centre and largest in population size), Pavlos Melas, Kordelio-Evosmos, Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, Neapoli-Sykies, Kalamaria 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.

Other

, now General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, designed by Vitaliano Poselli in 1891.]]

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. It is an influential city for the northern parts of the country and the capital of the Central Macedonia Periphery, the Thessaloniki Prefecture and at the Municipality of Thessaloniki. The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace is also based in the city. Thessaloniki is also 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.

Economy

.]]

Thessaloniki is a major port city and an industrial and commercial centre. The city's industries centre around oil, steel, petrochemicals, textiles, machinery, flour, cement, pharmaceuticals, and liquor.

The city's port, the Port of Thessaloniki, is one of the largest ports in the Aegean and as a free port, it functions as a major gateway to the Balkan hinterland. In the first six months of 2010, more that 7.2 million tons of products went through the city's port, making it one of the largest and most used ports in the Balkans. The city is also a major transportation hub for the whole of south-eastern Europe, carrying among other things, trade to and from the neighbouring countries. Recently Thessaloniki is also slowly turning into a major port for cruising in the eastern Mediterranean. AVEZ (the first industrial factory in northern Greece, built in 1926), and VIAMIL (ΒΙΑΜΥΛ). Nevertheless Thessaloniki still remains a major business hub in the Balkans.

A number of important Greek companies are headquartered in Thessaloniki, such as the Hellenic Vehicle Industry, the Macedonian Milk Industry and Philkeram Johnson. A considerable percentage of the city's working force is employed in small and medium-sized businesses, as well as in the service and the public sectors.

The GDP of the prefecture of Thessaloniki was billion ( billion) in 2004, and the GDP per capita of the prefecture was (),

Demographics

Historical ethnic statistics

The tables below show the ethnic statistics of Thessaloniki during the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century.

Population growth

The municipality of Thessaloniki is the most populated municipality of all the municiplaties that are part of the Thessaloniki Urban Area and make up the "City of Thessaloniki". Although the population of the municipality of Thessaloniki has declined in the last two censuses, the metropolitan area's population is still growing. The city forms the base of the metropolitan area.

The Jews of Thessaloniki

The Jewish population in Greece was the oldest in mainland Europe, and was mostly Sephardic. Thessaloniki became the largest center of the Sephardic Jews, who nicknamed the city la madre de Israel (Israel's mother) because of this. It also included the historically significant and ancient Greek-speaking Romaniote community. During the Ottoman era, Thessaloniki's Sephardic community comprised more than half the city's population; the Jews were dominant in commerce until the ethnic Greek population increased after independence in 1912. By the 1680s, about 300 families of Sephardic Jews, followers of Sabbatai Zevi, had converted to Islam, becoming a sect known as the Dönmeh (convert), and migrated to Salonika, whose population was majority Jewish. They established an active community that thrived for about 250 years. Many of their descendants later became prominent in trade. Many Jewish inhabitants of Thessaloniki spoke Ladino, the Romance language of the Sephardic Jews.

The great fire of 1917 burned much of the center of the city and left 50,000 Jews homeless of the total of 72,000 residents who were burned out. at the center of Thessaloniki.]] After the Greco-Turkish War in 1922 and the expulsion of Greeks from Turkey, many refugees came to Greece. Nearly 100,000 ethnic Greeks resettled in Thessaloniki, reducing the proportion of Jews in the total community. After this, Jews made up about 20% of the city's population. During the interwar period, Greece granted the Jews the same civil rights as other Greek citizens.

In 1943 the Nazis began actions against the Jews in Thessaloniki, forcing them into a ghetto near the railroad lines and beginning deportation to concentration and labor camps. They deported and exterminated approximately 96% of Thessaloniki's Jews of all ages during the Holocaust. Today, a community of around 1200 remains in the city. |- | 1943 | align = "right" | | align = "right" | 50,000 | align = "right" | | |- | 2000 | align = "right" | 363,987 include the Theater of the Society of Macedonian Studies, where the National Theater is based, the Royal Theater, the first base of the National Theater, Moni Lazariston, and the Earth Theater and Forest Theater, both amphitheatrical open-air theatres overlooking the city. and today forms an independent section of the National Theatre of Northern Greece. The opera is based at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, one of the largest concert halls in Greece. Recently a second building was also constructed and designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Olympion Theater, the site of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Plateia Assos Odeon multiplex are the two major cinemas in downtown Thessaloniki. The city also has a number of multiplex cinemas in major shopping malls in the suburbs, most notably in Mediterranean Cosmos, the largest retail and entertainment development in the Balkans.

Thessaloniki is renowned for its major shopping streets and lively laneways. Tsimiski Street and Proxenou Koromila avenue are the city's most famous shopping streets and are among Greece's most expensive and exclusive high streets. The city is also home to one of Greece's most famous and prestigious hotels, Makedonia Palace hotel, the Hyatt Regency Casino and hotel (the biggest casino in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe) and Waterland, the largest water park in southeastern Europe.

The city has always been known between Greeks for its vibrant city culture, including having the most cafe's and bars per-capita than any other city in Europe; and as having some of the best nightlife and entertainment in the country, thanks to its large young population and multicultural feel. Only recently has the city been exposing itself to the world and becoming more known for what it is, with Lonely Planet listing Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best ultimate party city.

Museums and galleries

Due to the city's rich and diverse history, Thessaloniki houses many museums dealing with many different eras in history. The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki was established in 1962 and houses some of the most important ancient Macedonian artifacts, including an extensive collection of golden artwork from the royal palaces of Aigai and Pella. It also houses exhibits from Macedon's prehistoric past, dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze age. The Prehistoric Antiquities Museum of Thessaloniki has exhibits from those periods as well.

One of the most modern museums in the city is the Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum and is one of the most high-tech museums in Greece and southeastern Europe. It features the largest planetarium in Greece, a cosmotheater with the largest flat screen in Greece, an amphitheater, a motion simulator with 3D projection and 6-axis movement and exhibition spaces. The museum contains historic information about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his life, especially while he was in Thessaloniki.

The city also has a number of important art galleries. Such include the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, housing exhibitions from a number of well-known Greek and foreign artists. The Teloglion Foundation of Art is part of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and includes an extensive collection of works by important artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by prominent Greeks and native Thessalonians. The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography also houses a number of important exhibitions, and is located within the old port of Thessaloniki.

The Museum of Byzantine Culture is one of the city's most famous museums, showcasing the city's glorious Byzantine past. The museum was also awarded Council of Europe's museum prize in 2005. The museum of the White Tower of Thessaloniki houses a series of galleries relating to the city's past, from the creation of the White Tower until recent years.

Festivals

George Papandreou outlining his government's policies at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair in 2009.]]

Thessaloniki is home of a number of festivals and events. The Thessaloniki International Trade Fair is the most important event to be hosted in the city annually, by means of economic development. It was first established in 1926 and takes place every year at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center. The event attracts major political attention and it is customary for the Prime Minister of Greece to outline his administration's policies for the next year, during event. Over 300,000 visitors attended the exposition in 2007.

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is established as one of the most important film festivals in Southern Europe, with a number of notable film makers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas and Fatih Akın taking part, and was established in 1960. The Documentary Festival, founded in 1999, has focused on documentaries that explore global social and cultural developments, with many of the films presented being candidates for FIPRESCI and Audience Awards.

The Dimitria festival, founded in 1966 and named after the city's patron saint of St. Demetrius, has focused on a wide range of events including music, theatre, dance, local happenings, and exhibitions. The "DMC DJ Championship" has been hosted at the International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki and has become a worldwide event for aspiring DJs and turntablists. The "International Festival of Photography" has taken place every February to mid-April. Exhibitions for the event are sited in museums, heritage landmarks, galleries, bookshops and cafés. Thessaloniki also holds an annual International Book Fair.

Sports

The main stadium of the city is the Kaftanzoglio Stadium (also home ground of Iraklis FC) , while other main stadiums of the city include the football Toumba Stadium and Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium, home grounds of PAOK FC and Aris FC respectively, all of whom are founding members of the Greek league.

Being the largest "multi-sport" stadium in the city, Kaftanzoglio Stadium regularly plays host to athletics events; such as the European Athletics Association event "Olympic Meeting Thessaloniki" every year; it has hosted the Greek national championships in 2009 and has been used for athletics at the Mediterranean Games and for the European Cup in athletics. In 2004 the stadium served as an official Athens 2004 venue, while in 2009 the city and the stadium hosted the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.

.]]

Thessaloniki's major indoor arenas include the state-owned Alexandreio Melathron, PAOK Sports Arena and the YMCA indoor hall. Other sporting clubs in the city include Apollon FC based in Kalamaria, Agrotikos Asteras FC based in Evosmos and YMCA. Thessaloniki has a rich sporting history with its teams winning the first ever panhellenic football, basketball, and water polo tournaments.

The city played a major role in the development of basketball in Greece. The local YMCA was the first to introduce the sport to the country, while Iraklis BC won the first ever Greek championship. and Europe. In October 2007, Thessaloniki also played host to the first Southeastern European Games.

The city is also the finish point of the annual Alexander The Great Marathon, which starts at Pella, in recognition of its Ancient Macedonian heritage. {| border="0px" |- | | |}

Media

Thessaloniki is home to the ERT3 TV-channel and Radio Macedonia, both services of Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) operating in the city and are broadcast all over Greece. The municipality of Thessaloniki also operates three radio stations, namely FM100, FM101 and FM100.6; and TV100, a television network which was also the first non-state-owned TV station in Greece and opened in 1988. There are a number of famous songs that go by the name 'Thessaloniki' or include the name in their title.

Education

Thessaloniki is a major center of education for Greece. Two of the country's largest universities are located in central Thessaloniki: Aristotle University and the University of Macedonia. Aristotle University was founded in 1926 and is currently the largest university in Greece by number of students, which number at more than 80,000 in 2010, Leiden ranks Aristotle University as one of the top 100 European universities and the best university in Greece, at number 97. Since 2010, Thessaloniki is also home to the Open University of Thessaloniki, which is funded by Aristotle University, the University of Macedonia and the municipality of Thessaloniki.

Additionally, a TEI (Technological Educational Institute) is located in the western suburb of Sindos, home also to the industrial zone of the city. Numerous public and private vocational institutes () provide professional training to young students, while a large number of private colleges offer American and UK academic curriculum, via cooperation with foreign universities. In addition to Greek students, the city hence attracts many foreign students either via the Erasmus programme for public universities, or for a complete degree in public universities or in the city's private colleges. the city's total student population was estimated around 200,000.

Transportation

Bus transport

Public transport in Thessaloniki is by buses. The bus company operating in the city is the Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization (OASTH), and is the only public means of transportation in Thessaloniki at the moment. It operates a fleet of 604 vehicles on 75 routes throughout the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area. International and regional bus links are provided at the Macedonia Central Bus Station (intercity buses terminal), located west of the city centre.

Railways

The city is a major railway hub for the Balkans, with direct connections to Sofia, Skopje, Belgrade, Moscow, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul, alongside Athens and other destinations in Greece. It is the most important railway hub of Greece and has the biggest marshalling yard in the country.

Thessaloniki's railway passenger station, is called the "New Railway Station" and was completed in 1961, remaining largely unchanged ever since. Currently it features large waiting areas, a central hall, cafes, restaurants and a shopping center. Discussions are underway for the expansion of the station and a general modernisation overhaul, which will also include a hotel and a revamp of the central offices of the Hellenic Railways Organization for northern Greece. A metro station is currently also under construction at the station.

Commuter rail services have recently been established between Thessaloniki and the city of Larissa (the service is known in Greek as the "Proastiakos", meaning "Suburban Railway"). The service operates on a modernised electrified double track and stops at 11 refurbished stations, covering the journey in an 1 hour and 33 minutes. The train service within Greece, including the Proastiakos, is operated by TrainOSE, the Hellenic Railways Organization's train operating company. As of 2011, due to the financial crisis international services have been suspended.

Thessaloniki Metro

The construction of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Railway began in 2006 and is scheduled for completion in late 2014. The line of Phase 1 is set to extend over , include 13 stations and it is expected to eventually serve 250,000 passengers daily. Some stations of the Thessaloniki Metro will house a number of archaeological finds.

Discussions are already underway for future expansions, in order for the metro network to also serve major transport hubs of the city, notably the Macedonia Central Bus Station (intercity buses terminal) and Macedonia International Airport. For the expansion towards the airport, the Attiko Metro company is considering the construction of an overground network or a monorail. The expansion to Kalamaria, a southeast borough of Thessaloniki, has already become part of the initial construction phase, while future expansions are considered and planned for Efkarpia to the north and Evosmos to the west. The strategic plan for the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro envisions that the city will have a system of 3 lines by 2018 or 2020 at the latest.

Macedonia International Airport

Air traffic to and from the city is served by Macedonia International Airport for international and domestic flights. The short length of the airport's two runways means that it does not currently support intercontinental flights, although a major extension, lengthening one of its runways into the Thermaic Gulf is under construction, despite considerable opposition from local environmentalist groups. Following the completion of the runway works, the airport will be able to serve intercontinental flights and cater for larger aircraft in the future. A master-plan, with designs for a new terminal building and apron have also been released; and is seeking for either public and private funding.

Motorways

.]] The city is bypassed by a C-shaped ring road. The western end of the route begins at the junction with the A1/A2 motorways in Lachanagora District. Clockwise it heads northeast around the city, passing through the northwestern suburbs, the forest of Seich Sou and through to the southeast borough of Kalamaria. The ring road ends at a large junction with the ΕΟ67 (in the near future to be expanded as A25) motorway, which then continues down to Chalkidiki, passing through Thessaloniki's outer southeast suburbs. This route is labeled as the Esoteriki Peripheriaki Odos (, inner ring road) of Thessaloniki and is generally accepted as the "boundary" between the city proper (Thessaloniki Urban Area) and its suburbs.

The speed limit on this motorway is and provides three traffic lanes for each direction. Although the large efford that was made in 2004 to improve the motorway features, it still does not feature an emergency lane. New plans have surfaced to upgrade the motorway to address the current issues, while also adding one more lane in each direction.

An outer ring road known as Eksoteriki Peripheriaki Odos (, outer ring road) is planned, with its west part already built and running as part of the A1/A2 motorways, passing through the outer northwestern suburbs of the city.

Motorways:

*A1/E75 W (Republic of Macedonia, Athens, Larissa)

*A2/E90 N' (Turkey, Alexandroupolis, Kavala, Xanthi, Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Kozani)

National Roads (part motorways):

*ΕΟ67 (A25), S (Airport, Nea Moudania)

*ΕΟ12 (A25) /Ε79 Ν (Serres, Drama)

*ΕΟ16, SW (Polygyros, Ouranopolis)

*ΕΟ65, Ν (Kilkis, Doirani)

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Thessaloniki is twinned with:

Towns

Hartford, United States since March 5, 1962 Alexandria, Egypt, since July 12, 1993 Bologna, Italy, since October 20, 1984 Bratislava, Slovakia, since April 23, 1986 Cologne, Germany, since May 3, 1988 Constanţa, Romania, since July 5, 1988 Akhisar, Turkey, since August 25, 1988 Kolkata, India since January 1, 2005 Korçë, Albania since October 14, 2005 Leipzig, Germany, since October 17, 1984 Limassol, Cyprus, since June 30, 1984 Melbourne, Australia since March 19, 1984 Nice, France, since March 20, 1992 Plovdiv, Bulgaria, since February 27, 1984 San Francisco, United States since August 6, 1990 Tel Aviv, Israel, since November 24, 1994 Amasya, Turkey, since August 25, 2001 Tianjin, China since March 4, 2002 Dongguan, China since October 24, 2008 Busan, South Korea since March 8, 2010

Collaborations

Boston, United States since April 21, 1996 Brooklyn Center, United States since July 5, 1992 Budapest, Hungary since April 5, 1993 Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine since April 18, 2003 Gyumri, Armenia since November 23, 2000 Marseille, France, since June 4, 1991 Philadelphia, United States since April 1, 2004 Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 2003 Shenyang, China since March 23, 2000 Toronto, Canada since September 5, 1986 Venice, Italy, since July 17, 2003 Tripoli, Libya, since June 23, 2007 İzmir, Turkey, since February 6, 2009

Gallery

See also

History of Greece

Macedonians (Greeks)

Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917

References

Bibliography

Notes

External links

Government

Municipality of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki Port Authority

ΟΑΣΘ – Organisation of Urban Transport of Thessaloniki (Greek & English)

Thessaloniki – Photo Archive Documents 1900–1980

Cultural

Thessaloniki Concert Hall Organisation

Thessaloniki Film Festival

Thessaloniki – Old postcards

Thessaloniki Info & Links

Thessaloniki360 Virtual City Guide

Thessaloniki Tsimiski.gr street

Category:Populated coastal places in Greece Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Category:Greek prefectural capitals Category:Greek regional capitals Category:Municipalities of Central Macedonia Category:Populated places in the Thessaloniki Prefecture Category:Tourism in Greece Category:Pauline churches Thessaloniki, Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments Category:310s BC establishments Category:Populated places established in the 4th century BC Category:Historic Jewish communities Category:Geography of ancient Mygdonia Category:European Capitals of Culture

Name	Robert Christgau
Caption	At the 2010 Pop Conference in Seattle, Washington
Birthdate	April 18, 1942
Occupation	Music critic, essayist, music journalist
Nationality	American
Period	1960s–present
Spouse	Carola Dibbell He left New York for four years to attend Dartmouth College, graduating in 1962 with a B.A. in English. While at college Christgau's musical interests turned to jazz, but he quickly returned to rock after moving back to New York.

On November 22 of that year, Christgau launched a blog on MSN, "Expert Witness", which would only feature reviews of albums that he had graded B+ or higher, since those albums "are the gut and backbone of my musical pleasure;" the writing of reviews for which are "so rewarding psychologically that I'm happy to do it at blogger's rates."

Pazz & Jop

In 1971, Christgau inaugurated the annual Pazz & Jop music poll. The results are published in the Village Voice every February, and compile "top ten" lists submitted by music critics across the nation. Throughout Christgau's career at the Voice, every poll was accompanied by a lengthy Christgau essay analyzing the results, and pondering the year's overall musical output. The Voice has continued the feature, despite Christgau's dismissal, and although he no longer oversees the poll, Christgau continues to vote in it.

Style and tastes

Christgau names Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, and The New York Dolls as his top five artists of all time. In music critic circles, he was an early supporter of hip hop and the riot grrrl movements. In the 1980s, Christgau was a fervent booster of Afro-pop, a stance that alienated him from some in the critical community, as he seemed insufficiently interested in American and British rock music. In the 1990s, however, Christgau's interest in indie rock seemed to increase.

Christgau readily admits to disliking the musical genres heavy metal, but in rare instances has recommended albums in most of these genres.

In December 1980, Christgau provoked angry responses from Voice readers when his column approvingly quoted his wife Carola Dibbell's reaction to the murder of John Lennon: "Why is it always Bobby Kennedy or John Lennon? Why isn't it Richard Nixon or Paul McCartney?"

Slate music critic Jody Rosen describes Christgau's writing as "often maddening, always thought-provoking... With Pauline Kael, Christgau is arguably one of the two most important American mass-culture critics of the second half of the 20th century. … All rock critics working today, at least the ones who want to do more than rewrite PR copy, are in some sense Christgauians."

References

External links

Official web site

Expert Witness blog on MSN Music

Consumer Guide on MSN Music

Users' Guide to the Consumer Guide

Category:1942 births Category:American atheists Category:American essayists Category:American music journalists Category:American music critics Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Living people