Reading the moving poem of W.B. Yeats can create a yearning for `Sailing to Byzantium' – but Constantinople became Istanbul a century ago and little of its Byzantine greatness – save some of its great monuments like the Aghia Sophia – remains. And it would be problematic these days to sail there – given the hyperactive ships of Turkey, the vigilant vessels of Greece, and the guard boats of the Frontex European Union border agency.
Yet you can sail to Byzantium's great and vital port, bastion, commercial hub, and cultural center, the equally multicultural and flavorable Thessaloniki.
Coursing through the Thermaic Gulf towards one of history's great harbors, one catches glimpses of the past and grasps the importance of Thessaloniki – it is easy to see that with walls – remnant exist -
atop the hills behind the great town with arms at their east and west ends reaching down to the sea. It is a Balkan stronghold and Aegean fortress that defended against the city's many greedy attackers throughout history. Indeed Thessaloniki's most famous landmark, the iconic Lefkos Pirgos-White Tower, while it is a masterpiece of Venetian military engineering, was built into the southeast corner of the Roman-Byzantine defense system.
For a journey to Byzantium, visitors guides to Thessaloniki rightly begin with the wonderful Museum of Byzantine Culture – near the sea, surrounded by pleasant cafes and restaurants – and its fine permanent and temporary exhibitions.
After enjoying the museum, visitors should walk through the street grid that is largely unchanged for almost 2000 years.
While ones wishes to be able to see more than just the foundation stones that remain of Thessaloniki's Roman imperial palaces, markets, and baths (although its Turkish hamams should not be missed, for they too give a taste of the Roman-Byzantine civilization the Ottomans adapted but could not erase) there are impressive monuments that are largely intact.
Everyone loves the famed Arch of Galerius, built by that emperor at the turn of the revolutionary fourth century and which historians tell us once had four arches, not one. The most impressive fully-intact Roman structure, however, is the Rotunda, a secular building inspired by Rome's Pantheon, which became the Church of St. George.
Today, we can get a sense of life in ancient Greece and Rome from books that rely on the literature of those times and what archaeologists and historians tell us, but the shape and rhythms of life in Byzantine times feel real to many Hellenes to this day because they lived them in the villages on the islands and the Greek mainland.
The Christian calendar of saints days, feasts, and fasts still sets the paces and places of life in many locales, and while that way of life is fading fast, the memories of childhood are vivid for millions around the world.
In Thessaloniki, one Saint dominates the city's spiritual and social life as in few other places – St. Demetrios, whose feast day on October 26th is a name day for thousands and a day off for all. The city's wealth and strategic value always inviting attacks, military saints were powerful elements in the consciousness of Thessaloniki's citizens, and none was more important than its world-renowned and miracle-working patron, St. Demetrios.
The survival of the building itself is something of a miracle, almost perishing in the great fire that destroyed much of Thessaloniki in 1917. Lovingly rebuilt, the church was founded in the 4th century and has survived several fires – its current form dates to the mid-7th century.
Another beloved church the 5th century's Panagia Acheiropoietos – probably named for a miraculous icon of the Theotokos that once housed there.
There are a total of five Early Christian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki that are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the most interesting is the Church of Aghia Sophia. It is well-known for its evocative mosaics and to architectural historians for its unique form – the domed church is a transitional design, between that of Aghia Sophia is Constantinople and what became the classical Byzantine cross-in-square church. The many fine examples of the latter from the Middle and Late Byzantine periods are jewels of Geek Orthodox ecclesiastical architecture.
The COVID lockdowns in 2020 disrupted all aspects of life in Thessaloniki, but the shutdowns of churches during Holy Week took an especially tough toll on the residents. This year, there was rejoicing as the partial reopening of churches for Holy Week and Pascha heralded the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
Those modern visitors present at that time discovered that the Early Christian and Byzantine churches, with their intoxicating incense, trance-inducing Byzantine chant, and flickering candles are gateways to another realm, or at the very least, spiritual oases in the noisy, tumultuous modern world.
Students from a Maine island high school have seen the world on senior class trips -- the Eiffel Tower, Iceland's volcanos, Norway's fjords, the canals of Italy, the tropical beaches of Panama.
This year, members of Islesboro Central School's Class of 2021 — all 13 of them — were eyeing a trip to Greece, or maybe South Korea. But they wound up going nowhere.
Instead, they donated $5,000 to help out neighbors struggling in the wake of the pandemic.
It was painful, no doubt. But in the end, it wasn't a difficult decision.
"It felt sort of obvious that it needed to go back to the island community," said Olivia Britton, 17, of Belfast, one of this month's graduates.
Before the pandemic put the kibosh on further fundraising -- including their annual auction -- the seniors raised nearly $8,000 by working concession stands, holding harvest and winter festivals, and hosting community suppers.
Much of that money would end up going to the Island Community Fund to help people suffering from COVID-19-related job losses to put food on the table or cover unexpected expenses.
The pandemic hasn't been easy for young people anywhere in the United States, and the tight-knit island community has felt the effects keenly.
Five of the Islesboro Central School seniors take the ferry from the mainland, while the rest live on the island, which has about 700 year-round residents. So the students were not only isolated by the pandemic but they were also split apart, unable to gather for months, with a three-mile gulf between the island and the mainland.
The Class of 2021 had long been accustomed to doing things together. For Halloween, the class would coordinate group costumes and pile into a school-owned van, driven by an English teacher, to go trick or treating together on the island.
It was a large group, by island standards. In fact, the 13 seniors represented the largest senior class in recent years.
As the reality of the pandemic took hold, the seniors kicked off an email chain to discuss what to do about the trip. International travel was a no-go, so Greece, South Korea and Japan were no longer options.
They thought about scaling it back. Perhaps they could do a regional trip. It would be better than nothing. But even that started to seem far-fetched.
The world's struggles weighed on them as they tried to justify salvaging an exotic outing against a backdrop of deaths and economic pain.
It would have seemed "weird and definitely wrong" to be spending money on an overseas trip during a time of such difficulties, said Liefe Temple, 18, of Lincolnville.
"We could really see how the whole world and the island, too, was struggling. So it felt really good to do that with our money, to give it back to the people who gave it to us," Temple said.
The president of the Isleboro Community Fund said there were cheers, high fives and even some tears when the board learned of the donation.
"When everything settled down, there was a strong sense of pride in these students. That's because their decision demonstrated an awareness of the hardship in their community and a willingness to do something about it," Fred Thomas said. "They learned that giving is hard, but giving is good."
Some money also was used to defray unexpected costs associated with operating COVID-19 vaccination clinics; the students got a kick out of knowing they contributed to their teachers and peers getting the jab. They're still deciding where to donate the couple of thousand dollars that's left.
Word of their gesture spread through a news account in their local newspaper. They received a warm response on the island, said Britton's mother, Dr. Megan Britton, a family doctor who advised the Class of 2021 on fundraising for the trip.
The consensus: "People complain about the youth today but this really flies in the face of that. Not these kids, at least," she said.
The second largest city in Greece – and its northern capital as it is lovingly called – is Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki is also the birthplace of the first eco-conscious movement and established organization. The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki, or in Greek, the `Oikologiki Kinisi' was officially founded in 1982 and is the oldest group of its kind in Greece. It was established during a period in world affairs when the science focusing on climate change was beginning to gather valuable and sobering data.
Although the concept of humans altering the climate was first proposed in the 1800's, the 20th century was when technology really allowed for more concrete and conclusive findings such as calculating the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and the ability to create powerful and useful models of the atmosphere. The EMT has since become a more broadly political group whose eco-conscious policies focus on the environment, establishing peace and eliminating violence, and promoting human, rights and democracy in societies throughout the world. An important element of their methodology is to highlight the way our everyday habits and lifestyles affect the natural world. Referred to as social ecology, this critical view examines humans' control of the Earth and thus our responsibility for it, and its concerns include tackling problems like our production and consumption habits, which have depleted natural resources but have also added to the growing piles of trash polluting the environment.
A movement like this is important for a major city like Thessaloniki but also for Greece in general. Such movements and organizations have saved forests and other ecosystems from being cut down or corrupted, but they have also created a network and gathering place for people to come together to build a better world.
The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki has even sponsored an annual event called the GreenWave Festival. It has been a staple event in the eco-conscious community since 2011 and has inspired other similar festivals and events in the Thessaloniki area. This movement became an integral part of public policy discussion and public-consciousness in Thessaloniki, as is evident from the founding of a dedicated work space for new projects and ideas. The space, called the Oikopolis or `Eco City', describes itself as a place for “a parallel city for ecology and social solidarity.”
The Thessaloniki community went a step further and established a similar free and safe space, but this time dedicated to helping the many refugees now living in Greece as a result of war and conflict in their home countries.
The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki and other like-minded groups have evolved with the times. They are dedicated to aiding the needy and alleviating the social and political troubles our everyday life, which has of course changed in both small and vast ways for each generation. The Ecological Movement represents all that is good in people, which is the empathy and care for other people, animals, and the planet After all, we are all connected in infinite ways.
So what did it take for a movement like this to take shape in Thessaloniki? Within the last decade, the refugee crisis in Europe has become increasingly urgent. Due to the unrelenting conflicts in the regions surrounding Greece, many people searching for safety have come to our shores. In Thessaloniki, a group of people sought to help provide some relief for refugees. They began providing the basic necessities like clothing and a place to wash their clothes – as well as a food shelter which provides several professionally prepared meals a day. This group of people from the Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki were called to action by what they saw happening in the refugee camps near Thessaloniki and at the northern border of Greece. In addition to these material and nutritional aids, the EMT group also provided resources and assistance for mental and emotional health – those are perhaps the most needful things for people now living as refugees, as their experiences have caused them immense stress and trauma. They want to help refugees become part of the society they are now living in and create a social-equilibrium where every person is validated and appreciated.
Thessaloniki the Green City
The second largest city in Greece – and its northern capital as it is lovingly called – is Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki is also the birthplace of the first eco-conscious movement and established organization. The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki, or in Greek, the `Oikologiki Kinisi' was officially founded in 1982 and is the oldest group of its kind in Greece. It was established during a period in world affairs when the science focusing on climate change was beginning to gather valuable and sobering data.
Although the concept of humans altering the climate was first proposed in the 1800's, the 20th century was when technology really allowed for more concrete and conclusive findings such as calculating the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and the ability to create powerful and useful models of the atmosphere. The EMT has since become a more broadly political group whose eco-conscious policies focus on the environment, establishing peace and eliminating violence, and promoting human, rights and democracy in societies throughout the world. An important element of their methodology is to highlight the way our everyday habits and lifestyles affect the natural world. Referred to as social ecology, this critical view examines humans' control of the Earth and thus our responsibility for it, and its concerns include tackling problems like our production and consumption habits, which have depleted natural resources but have also added to the growing piles of trash polluting the environment.
A movement like this is important for a major city like Thessaloniki but also for Greece in general. Such movements and organizations have saved forests and other ecosystems from being cut down or corrupted, but they have also created a network and gathering place for people to come together to build a better world.
The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki has even sponsored an annual event called the GreenWave Festival. It has been a staple event in the eco-conscious community since 2011 and has inspired other similar festivals and events in the Thessaloniki area. This movement became an integral part of public policy discussion and public-consciousness in Thessaloniki, as is evident from the founding of a dedicated work space for new projects and ideas. The space, called the Oikopolis or `Eco City', describes itself as a place for “a parallel city for ecology and social solidarity.”
The Thessaloniki community went a step further and established a similar free and safe space, but this time dedicated to helping the many refugees now living in Greece as a result of war and conflict in their home countries.
The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki and other like-minded groups have evolved with the times. They are dedicated to aiding the needy and alleviating the social and political troubles our everyday life, which has of course changed in both small and vast ways for each generation. The Ecological Movement represents all that is good in people, which is the empathy and care for other people, animals, and the planet After all, we are all connected in infinite ways.
So what did it take for a movement like this to take shape in Thessaloniki? Within the last decade, the refugee crisis in Europe has become increasingly urgent. Due to the unrelenting conflicts in the regions surrounding Greece, many people searching for safety have come to our shores. In Thessaloniki, a group of people sought to help provide some relief for refugees. They began providing the basic necessities like clothing and a place to wash their clothes – as well as a food shelter which provides several professionally prepared meals a day. This group of people from the Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki were called to action by what they saw happening in the refugee camps near Thessaloniki and at the northern border of Greece. In addition to these material and nutritional aids, the EMT group also provided resources and assistance for mental and emotional health – those are perhaps the most needful things for people now living as refugees, as their experiences have caused them immense stress and trauma. They want to help refugees become part of the society they are now living in and create a social-equilibrium where every person is validated and appreciated.
In the shadow of these human and social crises is a still greater crisis that could curtail all the progress in society. Climate Change is the biggest threat to the survival of humanity. Our planet is at a tipping point where further deterioration could make our planet uninhabitable. Throughout Earth's history, there have been slight changes in climate and that contributed to mass extinctions of species like the dinosaurs. Those changes and catastrophes can be traced to changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun or freak accidents of nature like an asteroid impact. But according to NASA, this incredibly fast and high warming we are currently experiencing is due to human activity and exploitation of natural resources. And as we continue to produce and consume through dangerous means and rates, we are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This molecule is good at trapping heat along with its even meaner cousin methane. When these elements trap massive amounts of heat, it creates more destruction in the Earth's ecosystems by causing things like glacial melting, which leads to a domino effect of other problems. On average, the climate is warming ten times faster than before the presence of modern humans. These changes in geological processes are causing oceans to warm and sea levels to rise, as well as spurring more extreme weather events. The communities that will be most devastated by these changes are already vulnerable and in situations of poverty and lack of access to resources. The Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki and other groups observed the signs of these perils in their city, especially through the eyes of refugees in cramped camps.
In all its endeavors, the Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki has chosen sustainability, whether it be providing healthy food to vulnerable communities from markets that have would have just thrown it away, or using bikes to transports these goods. The movement is also sustainable in its human approach which educates and uplifts in dignified and impactful ways and it is an example of what can be accomplished when people invest in their communities. Thessaloniki may not be the capital of Greece but it is certainly can be called the capital of activism and progress in the country.
