The arcades of Thessaloniki

The arcades of Thessaloniki are the hidden and charming corners of the city that keep it alive. They usually house cafes, bars or markets. These closed markets are in many cases a result of the Turkish occupation, as they are a common phenomenon in Turkey.

In Thessaloniki, in these closed markets, the merchants sold their wares, often similar, while they were often guild hangouts. For this reason some of these galleries, even today, are known for specific items of sale, such as sewing, buttons, food. Many arcades hosted night entertainment businesses, others declined especially in the first years of the crisis, but it seems that with time they are slowly recovering. We will take a walk through the arcades of the center with guides Despina, Palasis, Paraskevi, Chrysa, Valia, Evangelia, Evi and Stavroula.

 STOA KARASSO

The most famous gallery in Thessaloniki for those interested in buying clothing items is the Karassos gallery with two entrances, one from Ermou and one from Venizelou. It has been in its current form since 1959. It was owned by Isaac Karassos, a well-known businessman from Thessaloniki, who at some point decided to sell half of the arcade to another businessman, named Makridis, after whom half of the arcade was named. From its inception, the stoa was a focal point for those who wanted to shop for fabrics, threaded buttons, novelty items and over time it became known to the Thessalonians for the variety of products of this kind that could be found there.

STOA HIRS

Hirs Stoa was named in honor of Baron Hirs (1831-1896) and his philanthropic work. Although his mother Caroline Wertheimer urged him to study theology, he followed the advice of his banker father and took up finance. In 1869 the Ottoman government commissioned Hirsch to build and operate several railway networks in the Ottoman Empire. The project earned Hirsch more than $100 million. dollars. His philanthropic activity also extended to Thessaloniki, where many institutions were built, the main one being the Hippocrates Hospital. Today the gallery houses large shops such as public and notos.

BEZESTENI

The Bezesteni of Thessaloniki is an Ottoman monument built during the reign of Sultan Mehmet II (1455-1459). It is located in Thessaloniki at the junction of Venizelos and Solomos streets, opposite the Hamza Bay Mosque and the old city hall. The word is etymologically derived from the Turkish word bezesten which means antique shop and comes from the Arabic word bez which means fabric.

IN ROKOTI or LEVI MENEXE

At Venizelou 3 is the famous Stoa Rogoti. It was built in 1928 as an office building under the name Megaro Burla. It has two entrances, one from the homonymous pedestrian street and one from Venizelou Street. A classic example of architecture from the first decades of the previous century, the circular atrium dominates the interior of the portico. It rises up to the top floor and the balconies of the internal corridors with the iron handrails have visual contact with it. Most areas of the building house law offices. The entrances to the arcade acquire a special character from the shops that operate there, cafes, bars, restaurants. In addition to lawyers, here you will meet groups of young people, workers in downtown offices and groups that love to talk accompanied by music and food.

OLYMPIAN STOA

Another stoa of Thessaloniki is the Olympios Stoa which was built in 1956 and whose entrance is located on Leonos Sofos. A place that once housed many small shops, selling mainly clothing and textiles, now looks like a desert.

STOA MALAKOPI

Stoa Malakopi is located in one of the most famous parts of Thessaloniki, Valaoritou. The building which was the center of Fragomahala in Ottoman Thessaloniki, was built in 1906 and housed the Bank of Thessaloniki which had been founded in 1888 by the Allatini family. The clock that dominates the facade of the building stopped ticking at the time of the great earthquake that hit Thessaloniki in 1978.

STOA SAUL

Commercial arcade complex built by Saul Modianos, a well-known Jewish banker, connecting Vasileos Herakleio with Ermou, and Venizelou with Ionos Dragoumis streets. The architect Eli Modiano as well as the Real Estate Bank of Modiano maintained offices inside the gallery. It was built between 1867-71, while a part of it was destroyed by the fire of 1917. It was rebuilt in 1929, modifying the portico to a roughly C-shape. It is a historical document of the prosperity of the Modiano family that started with Saul, the poor clerk who became one of the richest people in the Ottoman Empire.

HERMIONE (STOA CARIPI)

At 23 Venizelou Street, between Ermou St, in Egnatia, the Ermeion palace is located. It was built in 1925, according to plans by Georgakopoulos - Mylonas and belongs to the Art Deco movement. In the building, the use of reinforced concrete, a new material for the time, allowed large facades with glass panes that offer views and light to its spaces, it has beautifully decorated ceilings and large atriums with balconies in the center of its interior. The building was the #1 shopping center for many years. It was the 1st commercial center of the city and is still used today for commercial and business activities.

CENTRAL FOOD STORAGE – MODIANO

The history of the Modiano market begins in 1492, when the first Spanish Jews settled in the Jewish quarter "Talmud Torah". In 1917 the area burned down and in 1922 it was built in place of the food market. It was designed by Eli Modiano in collaboration with the architect Ernesto Ebrar. The foundation stone of the Modiano market was laid in 1922 and its construction took three years. When it was completed, in 1925, the name written on the front of the Agora complex was "Central Food Hall". In the process, however, the name of the house of the powerful Modianos supplanted that official name, even though this great Jewish family was then in crisis. The title on the drawings, in French, was 'Bazar Cetral Salonique'.

Paraskevi Mygdalia, Chrysa Pehlivanidou (The photos are of the students)

Source: thelo_thess

Article from the blog of the Department of Applied Arts of the 7th EPAL Thessaloniki!