Church of Hosios David, Thessaloniki

The Church of Hosios David dates to the late 5th or early 6th century and originally formed part of the Latomos Monastery, an important Byzantine monastic complex. As you step inside, the church’s compact, inward-focused plan becomes immediately clear. The space follows a cross-in-square layout, with square bays occupying the corners and drawing your attention toward the eastern end, where the sanctuary is located.

Move toward the apse at the eastern side of the church and look upward. Here you’ll find the building’s apse mosaic, often described as a Theophany or Christophany. Christ appears as a youthful, beardless figure seated on a rainbow, holding an open scroll. Around Him are symbolic elements linked to the Evangelists and visionary imagery drawn from the Old Testament. Unlike later Byzantine mosaics, this composition is not strictly narrative but symbolic, and its survival from the late 5th century makes it unique in Byzantine art.

As you turn back toward the side walls and upper surfaces, you’ll notice later layers of decoration. These frescoes, dating mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, reflect subsequent phases of worship. Look for scenes depicting the Nativity, the Baptism of Christ, and Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem, as well as representations of the Virgin associated with the Passion.

While moving through the church, signs of damage are also visible. Earthquakes, later structural changes, and the plastering-over of images during the Ottoman period all took their toll. During Ottoman rule, the building was converted into a mosque known as Suleiman Tzami. If you step outside afterward, you can still spot the base and spiral staircase of the former minaret, the only remaining traces of that phase. The church was reconsecrated for Orthodox worship in 1921, and today it forms part of the UNESCO-listed Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki.