The Church
of Saint Dimitrios in Thessalonica, Greece is situated on the site
of previous churches built over the ruins of the Roman bath where St. Dimitrios the Myrrh gusher was imprisoned and martyred. The present structure is a reconstruction of the
seventh century church that was destroyed by fire in 1917. The church is a basilica with five apses, a narthex, and transept.
The first structure, a small chapel, was built over the ruins of a Roman bath, shortly
after 313, This chapel and an earthen urn were discovered during excavations
made when the present church was being rebuilt. The earthen urn contained earth
with human blood, perhaps that of St Dimitrios.
During the fifth century, Eparch
Leontios had a large basilica with three apses constructed on the site of the
chapel. Between 626 and 634, the basilica burned down; soon after a new
basilica was built that had five apses. The church remained in use until
Thessalonica was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1493, who converted the
church into a mosque. When Greece gained independence from the Turks in 1912,
the Church of St. Dimitrios was restored for Orthodox Christian services. In 1917, however, the church burned down.
Immediately, efforts to restore
the church began. During these efforts the naos and crypt were opened. The
restoration, however, was stopped in 1938 and not resumed again until 1946. At
this time systematic excavations were made and the new church with five apses
was built. By 1949, construction had progressed so that services were able to
be conducted.
Preserved in the crypt of the new
church is the bath in which St. Dimitrios was martyred and the remains of the
first chapel built on the bath. Also, recovered was a large marble basin that
was used to collect the holy myrrh that emanated from the grave of the martyred
saint, which gave rise to the appellation Myrrh gusher for St. Dimitrios.
Saint Dimitrios is the protector
of Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. He lived between 280-284 AD
to 303 or 305 AD. He was the son of a wealthy military commander of Thessaloniki
and received a good education as a child. He joined the army and eventually
became an officer. When he was young, he decided to get secretly baptised a
Christian, something which was forbidden during that period, when idol Gods
were still worshiped.
When his father died, the Roman
Emperor Maximian ordered him to chase and kill the Christians of Thessaloniki.
Dimitrios refused to do so, revealing thus his faith. He was then asked to
change his religious beliefs; however, he refused once again and expressed his
disgust for paganism. Therefore, he was put to prison; he was tortured and
martyred for his God. Before he was killed, he donated all his wealth to the
poor. His bravery and sacrifice made him an Orthodox Saint.


Saint Dimitrios became the patron
saint of the city in 1912, during the First Balkan War, when the Greek army
entered the city of Thessaloniki on his name day, i.e. the 26th of
October, and delivered the city from the Turks. Today, his memory is celebrated
all around the Orthodox World, mainly in Greece, Cyprus, Serbia, Russia and
Romania, where many are named after this great Saint. A non-well known fact,
nevertheless, is that St. Dimitrios is not only the protector and patron Saint
of Thessaloniki, he is also regarded as the protector of Siberia, Russia.