Thessaloniki hosts “Architectural Treasures from the heart of Medieval Serbia”

A unique photo exhibition (7.12.2012 – 3.3.2013) at the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki has been launched in cooperation with the Foundation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the city of Kraljevo (Zavod za Zaštitu Spomenika Kulture Kraljeva). The event is representing Thessaloniki’s Byzantine Museum to the action organized by the Hellenic Secretariat General for Culture titled “Thessaloniki, crossroad of cultures”.

The medieval kingdom of Serbia was in many ways and levels connected to Byzantium and particularly to Thessaloniki. Especially the central Serbian region, where the Kraljevo Foundation is active in, is characterized by a multitude of important ecclesiastical and secular monuments that have been preserved in the area. As the Museum describes, the monuments convey a high artistic, cultural and technological value in the late Byzantine era, when Serbia was ruled by the dynasty of Nemanjic (1166 – 1317). Most of the selected monuments are included in UNESCO’s list of world heritage.

A printed bilingual guide (English and Greek) accompanies the exhibition, with extended photographic material and scientific information. The program includes a lecture titled “Patronage of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin: Politics and Architecture in Serbia, ca. 1300-1320” by Princeton University Professor of Archeology, Dr. Slobodan Ćurčič.

Visiting the Museum of Byzantine Culture

The Museum (b. 1993) is a vibrant addition to the heart of Thessaloniki and a rich cultural centre of reference to an era that characterized many of its present architectural, artistic and infrastructural monuments. The building (11,500 sq.m.) is a jewel on its own right, protected by heritage law for its architectural value and awarded by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture (2000). The Museum has been awarded by the Council of Europe in 2005.