These preserved historical sites remind inhabitants of the city they are living in the shadows of the empires that created the culture and laws we follow today in the Western World.
My favorite part of these sites was the Byzantine Museum because it included Orthodox religious icons that resemble the icons from my families' church. My family is originally from the surrounding areas of Damascus, Syria and we have lived in the customs given to us by the Byzantine Empire. We are Melkite Christians and our Church in Syria was originally built by the Emperor Justinian after seeing a vision of the Mother Mary who planted a rose in our village where the church should be raised. I was personally moved when I viewed these icons from centuries ago and could immediately connect them with the religious traditions I was raised with.
An important part of my trip was meeting the people of Thessaloniki and learning what student life is like in the University of Aristotle, the largest school in Greece. I was very lucky to have been able to meet so many students who treated me graciously and gave me a view of their daily lives. One student gave me a tour of the major historical sites of the city, informing me of the importance of each site and how the local people view them. The students even invited me to a small rock and roll venue where their friends played for about four hours! Universities in Greece are free, including housing and food, this means that all Greeks have the opportunity for an education. Greece determines admission to the university based on national exams every high school is required to take. This is a very stressful period for the students as these exams will decide if they will receive admittance to the universities.
