THE ANCIENT THEATER OF PHILIPPI, KAVALA, EASTERN MACEDONIA & THRACE
BYZANTINE FORTRESS ON THE ACROPOLIS OF THESSALONIKI
PATMOS ISLAND, DODECANNESE ISLANDS, DETAIL FROM AN ORTHODOX CHURCH
VENETIAN FORTRESS CORFU
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PHILIPPI At the base of the ruins of an acropolis near Kavala in northeastern Greece, this UNESCO World Heritage Site primarily preserves remains from the Roman colony of military veterans stationed here from the first century CE on and the sprawling Christian city of the Late Roman Empire. “One can visit the theater where plays and concerts take place in the summer, and the so-called prison of St. Paul before heading to the Roman forum on the opposite side of the street,” says Tsouvala. THE MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN “THE THEOLOGIAN” AND THE CAVE OF THE APOCALYPSE ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS Part of an important trading route, the island of Patmos was occupied by many cultures. A Christian pilgrimage site since Byzantine times, it’s said to be where John the Apostle was exiled in 95 CE, had the vision of the Apocalypse and wrote the Book of the Revelation. Tsouvala points to several sites to see here, including the 12th century monastery and its museum, the Chora (main town) and its theological seminary, the Cave of the Apocalypse and several smaller churches and chapels. Freelance travel writer Terry Ward is based in Florida but is frequently on the road (or at sea!) to report stories. Her work has been published by such outlets as Travel Channel, the Washington Post, Travel+Leisure and Cruise Critic. Visit her website to learn more, www.terry-ward.com.
Other fascinating UNESCO World Heritage sites in Greece OLD TOWN OF CORFU Known for its nature reserves and spectacular beaches, the Old Town of Corfu stands apart. “Its architecture has strong Italian elements with busy piazzas, long loggias, tall building walls, romantic streets, and Venetian fortresses,” Tsouvala says. This is also where you’ll find the only Georgian building in the Mediterranean, the Royal Palace, which dates to 1820 and harkens back to an island connection between the Greek and British Royal families. PALEO-CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE MONUMENTS OF THESSALONIKA Tsouvala calls Thessalonika a “walking museum for early Christian and Byzantine architecture and art from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries CE.” Among the major sites to see here in Greece’s second largest city are the Byzantine Walls, the 5th century Church of Hosios David (and its frescos of Christ, which are some of the earliest), the Roman Baths and the Cryptoporticus, an ancient underground mall.
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