Greek Language Lessons

Which was the “Eksohes District”? Which is the history of the old city’s tram? What does “Depot” mean? Who were the Allattinis? What can a brick tell us about the history of Thessaloniki? What are all these impressive buildings in the east side of the city and what secrets do they hide? As early as the 1880s, the area outside the SE walls of the city was known as “Towers” or“Countryside [Eksohes]” and showed limited construction, mainly of a holiday nature. However, significant changes in the traditional core of Thessaloniki, such as the demolition of the walls and the fire of 1890, favored a more mass movement and permanent settlement in the area. This first expansion of the city outside the walls will be organized based on a specific plan and will be a district in which mainly the upper social and economic strata will be settled. The district gradually expands east and north. Equipped with new infrastructure, important public buildings, recreation areas, parks and luxury homes, it acquires a European character and develops into a cosmopolitan suburb. Today the few impressive buildings that have survived in this area, stand proudly (although some are totally abandoned) and they tell us their own stories, inalienable part of the history of our city. Today the few impressive buildings that have survived in this area, stand proudly (although some are totally abandoned) and they tell us their own stories, inalienable part of the history of our city. We put on our headphones, keep the necessary distance and welcome autumn with a unique tour together with our favorite, specialized guides, the Dot2dot team. We use the necessary vocabulary, practice in daily dialogs and discuss special grammar issues with our specialized teachers. We learn Greek in the most creative ways while having lots of fun!

What do you know about the Byzantine Empire? Did you know that Thessaloniki was part of the Byzantine Empire for 1.100 years and became its second most important city? Can you imagine how many secrets are hidden in these 1.100 years? Who were the Byzantines? How was their life? What did their houses look like? What were their jobs? What did they eat? What were they wearing? Have you ever played educational games inside a museum while learning history and a different part of art? The “Byzantine Empire”, also referred to as the “Eastern Roman Empire”, or “Byzantium”, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Thessaloniki was, for much of the existence of the Byzantine Empire, its second largest city. Evidence of this history can still be seen in the 15 Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Thessaloniki was a multicultural city that a prosperous yet tumultuous history from the Roman era to the Ottoman era. A “trip” in Thessaloniki of Byzantine years: the temples, the houses, the streets, the markets the baths, the food and the daily habits. We construct and deconstruct the narrative of everyday life in this important Byzantine city, which enjoyed a strategic geographic location, was a powerful commercial hub and experienced intense economic activity. We discover together all these aspects of the Byzantine Empire, while learning how to utilize the necessary vocabulary, practice our daily communication skills and come into contact with grammar and syntax issues. We visit the really interesting Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki with its important collection, while having an exciting day with a lot of fun thanks to our amazing specialized colleagues at Dot2dot and our highly educated teachers!