The Old Cathedral

The Old Cathedral of Veria is one of the greatest temples of the middle Byzantine period, which the Bishop of the town had it built between 1070 and 1080. It is an architectural masterpiece of three aisled basilicas and has many similarities in the shape with the early Christian temple of St. Dimitrios in Thessaloniki. It is a great Bishop Temple that captures the prosperity of the town during the middle Byzantine period.

The distinctive features that bring added uniqueness, specific architectural, artistic and historical value to the Old Cathedral is the incorporation of early Christian templates that gives the impression of a premier temple compared with the relevant monuments of the same period, as well as the wall painting decoration that presents some of the greatest painting works of the 12th, 13th and 14th century. For this reason it is regarded as the gem of Byzantine Veria..

After the completion of the restoration works carried out by the 11th department of Ephorate Byzantine Antiquities in autumn of 2016, the monument is accessible to the public again offering visitors a unique tour of the Byzantine history of the town.