Biblical city
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki, Greece · Macedonia
The capital of Roman Macedonia and a busy port on the Via Egnatia, Thessalonica hosted a short but fruitful visit from Paul and received two of his earliest letters (Acts 17:1-9). Roman and Byzantine monuments remain within the modern city.
History in Scripture
Paul preached three sabbaths in its synagogue before a riot forced him out; the converts there received two of his earliest letters, full of comfort about the return of Christ.
The ancient city
The chief city and port of Macedonia, Thessalonica sat on the Via Egnatia with a free-city status and its own politarchs — a title once doubted until inscriptions confirmed Luke's accuracy.
The site today
Thessaloniki is Greece's second city; its Roman forum, the Rotunda and a group of Byzantine churches are UNESCO-listed.
Key passages
Sources & notes
Description summarizes standard historical and archaeological reference works. Imagery is added separately and is labeled by type.