Agias Sofias Square ( el, Πλατεία Αγίας Σοφίας) is a

square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

in the city of

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

History

The square dates back to the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

period of the city and took its name from the church of

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

(''Holy Wisdom'') located within it. At the time it was also called ''Skalia''. During a fire in 1890, it was heavily damaged but was restored under the supervision of

Charles Diehl Charles Diehl (; 19 January 1859 – 1 November 1944) was a French historian born in Strasbourg. He was a leading authority on Byzantine art and history. Biography He received his education at the École Normale Supérieure, and later taught cla ...

, a notable Byzantinist. Although not a square today, plans have been released which include the complete redevelopment of the area with a new square and pedestrianized zone to extent from the

Church of the Acheiropoietos The Church of the Acheiropoietos ( el, ) is a 5th-century Byzantine church in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia. It is located in the city's centre, at Agias Sofias street opposite Makedonomachon square. Because of its o ...

to the sea.

Gallery

File:Thessaloniki, Greece - 1920s.jpg, Celebrations in the square in the 20s File:Agia Sofia front July 2006.jpg,

church File:20160516 249 thessaloniki.jpg, Longos mansion (arch. Leonardo Gennari) File:Дом на пл. Св. Софии - panoramio.jpg, Israel building (arch.

Joseph Pleyber Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

) File:20160516 219 thessaloniki.jpg, Nedelkos building (arch.

Xenophon Paionidis Xenophon Paionidis ( el, Ξενοφών Παιονίδης; 1863–1933) was a Greek architect from Chalkidiki (Fourka), notable for his works in the city of Thessaloniki. Among his works are the "Villa Jeborga/Salem" (former Italian consulate, 1 ...

Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

Street File:Thessalonikki, Greece 5 Old Church 4.jpg,

File:Street in Solun, Greece.JPG, Agias Sofias Street File:Граждане читают и обсуждают газету. - panoramio.jpg, Sculpture in the square

Sources

Agias Sofias Square
{{coord, 40.6333, 22.9459, type:landmark_region:GR, display=title Roman Thessalonica Byzantine architecture in Thessaloniki Buildings and structures in Thessaloniki Squares in Thessaloniki Byzantine Revival architecture in Greece