Discover Thessaloniki’s most historical and impressive cemeteries

Discover Thessaloniki’s most historical and impressive cemeteries

Every corner, every alley, every small square in Thessaloniki has its own story to tell. The city that became a point of coexistence of Greeks, Ottomans, Jews, Armenians and other nationalities throughout the centuries who left a piece of their own history here. This Thessaloniki boasts today of its multiculturalism and the fact that it has always been an open and outward-looking city.

And this is proven by the large number of cemeteries that existed or exist within its borders. These monuments today remind us that apart from its cosmopolitan past, Thessaloniki throughout history has always been at the centre of battles and warfare and this past attracts great interest.

In the last 10-15 years, it seems that another form of tourism, a little special, has made its appearance more noticeable, although it used to coexist among the tourist routes of visitors to Thessaloniki. These are visitors interested in the battlefields of the great battles in Europe, war memorials and cemeteries, but also in the dark events and adventures of important historical cities, also known as dark tourism.

Fans of this tourism, come together! Thessaloniki will once again surprise you with the choices it offers and the stories it can tell you.

Zeitenlik Allied Military Cemetery

If you find yourself in the western part of the city and you love to learn about dark war stories that have been "buried" in the depths of decades past then you can check out the Allied cemeteries of Zeitenlik on Lagada Street. At first sight you will be surprised by their organization and symmetry, which gives an aesthetically perfect image. In Zeitenlik, 20,000 French, English, Russian, Italian and Serbs who died in World War I are buried in Thessaloniki. Among them, Bulgarian prisoners of war were buried on the same site.

Military Cemetery of the British Commonwealth – Mikra Thessaloniki

The cemetery you will see in the area of Mikra is on the same wavelength of history as the above cemetery. A monumental site of similar architecture and symmetry to that of Zeidelik. A place also full of memories , human stories, military campaigns and war plans for the conflicts of the most turbulent periods of the 20th century. This is the British Commonwealth Military Cemetery. It is the resting place of 1,810 British Army soldiers and 149 British Navy soldiers, and in the cemetery you can also find the Mikra Memorial dedicated to the 500 Commonwealth casualties lost at sea in the Mediterranean, including: nurses, officers and soldiers. If you wander eastwards, don't miss it. It is no coincidence that a British newspaper, on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, included Thessaloniki in the top 10 most important destinations in Europe for historical memory tourism.

Military Cemetery of the British Commonwealth – Exohi Thessaloniki

A similar monumental site can be found in the area of Thessaloniki. This war remnant of the First World War also started its operation in 1916, and later in 1917 medical units were operating in the area for the treatment of patients, most of them victims of the Spanish flu. Today, visitors can see the 588 graves of 58 British Commonwealth soldiers, 58 Bulgarians and 17 British victims of World War II.

Armenian Cemetery

Another strong community that was flourishing in Thessaloniki is that of the Armenians who also have their own cemetery in Thessaloniki. Besides, Thessaloniki and Armenia share many common historical memories. Thus, true to their friendship, Greeks and Armenians in Thessaloniki "sleep" side by side, since the two cemeteries border each other in the area of Evangelistria. From 1887-1888 until today the Armenians have their own cemetery in this corner of the city.

Indian Cemetery of the British Commonwealth

Here's something that not many people are familiar with and it's surprising. In Thessaloniki there is an Indian cemetery! It belongs to the Commonwealth Military Cemeteries Commission, located in Dendropotamos and is the only Indian cemetery in Greece. There, 358 Indians of the colonial army who died during the First World War are buried. Along with them, 107 other Indian Muslims are buried, while in the northern part of the cemetery there is a Hindu memorial containing the ashes of 220 of the fallen who were cremated according to their religion's customs.

Ottoman Cemetery of Thessaloniki

Given that Thessaloniki had been under the Ottomans for about 500 years, the Ottoman cemeteries were a reality for the city and there were several of them, but none survive today. A site of Ottoman cemeteries was once delineated on the boundaries of the present-day TIF, the eastern walls and the beach.

Jewish Cemetery of Thessaloniki

The best known cemetery that existed in the past is that of the Jews of Thessaloniki, located on the site of the present-day University Campus. Within it, historical scholars estimate that there were thousands of graves. The cemetery was destroyed during the Occupation, in 1942. By then, it was certainly one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.

Bulgarian Cemetery

The Bulgarian community has also left its imprint on the city with a cemetery in the area of the present-day Evangelistria area. The cemetery was built and operated there in the 18th-19th century, while today the only thing that survives to remind us of its existence is the church on the eastern side of the old cemetery.

Romanian Cemetery

"Romanian" is how the residents of Neapolis refer to the cemetery where the fallen of the First World War were once buried in Thessaloniki. Although today there is nothing left to remind of its existence, locals know it as the old "shack" of Makedonikos and it was located between the streets of Konstantinos Karamanlis and Andreas Papandreou.