Latest news with #Macedonians
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Tomb built for Alexander the Great's best friend is aligned with winter solstice, study suggests
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A grand tomb that may have been built for Alexander the Great's best friend and bodyguard around 2,300 years ago has an astronomical secret: Its burial chamber is aligned so that sunlight enters it on the winter solstice, a new study proposes. However, not everyone agrees with this interpretation. Some experts note that the ancient Macedonians used a lunisolar calendar, meaning the winter solstice's date would have moved from year to year. The tomb, now called the Kasta monument (also known as the Kasta tomb or Kasta tumulus), is near the ancient city of Amphipolis in northern Greece. In 2014, archaeologists excavated the tomb's burial chamber and found the skeletal remains of at least five people. For whom the monument was built is a matter of debate, but Hephaestion (also spelled Haphaestion), whose death in 324 B.C. sent Alexander the Great into severe grief, is considered a leading candidate by some scholars. In the new study, independent researcher Demetrius Savvides created a 3D model of the tomb and used Stellarium, an astronomical program that tracks how the positions of the sun and stars change over time, to re-create what the sky around the tomb looked like in 300 B.C. He found that on Dec. 21, the date of the winter solstice, the sun's light would have fully illuminated the burial chamber between approximately 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time, Savvides wrote in a study published May 15 in the Nexus Network Journal. Related: Was Alexander the Great eaten by sharks? Inside the wild theories for what happened to the iconic ruler's body. Sunlight reaches other parts of the monument at different times, he found. Around late July, it touches the entrance. Throughout autumn, the sunlight gradually travels on and near two carved sphinxes and finally passes between them, fully illuminating the burial chamber on the winter solstice. "It is highly probable that rituals were held within or in close proximity to the Kastas Monument, particularly on and around the winter solstice," Savvides told Live Science in an email. Initially, when the tomb was being built, it had no orientation to the winter solstice. But during its construction, the design was changed to create the solstice alignment, Savvides wrote in the paper. An alignment like this would have symbolized "themes of renewal, life, and cosmic order," Savvides said in the email. These themes are also seen in the tomb decoration, which shows a mosaic of Persephone, a goddess of vegetation and agriculture who is also queen of the underworld, Savvides noted. In addition, the tomb has a possible depiction of Cybele, a goddess who was associated with birth and fertility and was married to Attis, a god also associated with vegetation who died and was resurrected. One interesting question this research raises is whether Alexander the Great's tomb, which was constructed in Alexandria, had a burial chamber with an alignment like this, Savvides said. "The use of solar illumination and a consistent geometric design aligns with Hellenistic traditions where rulers, like Alexander the Great, used solar symbolism to reinforce their authority," Savvides said. "If we were to locate Alexander's tomb, it might resemble the Kastas Monument," Savvides said. Alexander's tomb has never been found and might be underwater or underneath Alexandria. Juan de Lara, a researcher at the University of Oxford who has investigated the alignments of ancient Greek buildings, had mixed reactions to the research. RELATED STORIES —Did Alexander the Great have any children? —How did Alexander the Great die? —'I nearly fell out of my chair': 1,800-year-old mini portrait of Alexander the Great found in a field in Denmark "I think it's great that scholars are asking these questions and using this technology to generate new ideas. In the case of the tomb, the researcher presented daring hypotheses," de Lara told Live Science in an email. "However, we must remember to be very careful when relating such findings to 'solar' events, as the Macedonians used a lunisolar calendar — meaning that the dates shifted from year to year." In other words, their winter solstice would have fallen on a different day each year, meaning this day of illumination might have been difficult to observe annually as the day changed. Additionally, de Lara noted that northern Greece is very cloudy in the winter and the effect may not have been noticeable.
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Every Rangers trophy Steven Gerrard competed for and where he finished as '1 in 9' question mark looms large
Is Steven Gerrard the man with the title touch or a let down who delivered just one trophy out of nine? Steven Gerrard remains the last manager to deliver a league title to Ibrox. And the Rangers faithful are waiting with baited breath to learn if he will be the man tasked with leading the hunt for their next. But while many fans are excited about the potential return of the man behind the club's 2021 Premiership triumph, others have voiced concerns over the former Liverpool skipper's record in Glasgow. Gerrard's critics are quick to point to the fact he lifted just one of the nine domestic trophies he competed for during his three-and-a-half year stay in Glasgow. Here Record Sport takes a look back at how Stevie G fared at home and abroad during his time at Ibrox. Europa League (2018/19) With Gers desperate to raise revenue, Gerrard was under pressure to compete not only in Scotland but also on the continent. Reaching the group stages was a major challenge given his side was faced with four qualifiers — but his a new-look squad saw their way past Macedonians Shkupi, Osijek of Croatia, Slovenian outfit Maribor and finally Russian side Ufa to earn a £10million windfall. They certainly didn't disgrace themselves on their return to the round-robin section but could only finish third in a section containing Villarreal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow. Premiership (2018/19) It was billed as student against master as Gerrard found himself pitted against his former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow. But he was starting a long way back on the Celtic manager, whose relentless winning machine had celebrated a double Treble the season before. With experienced recruits like Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Connor Goldson on board - added to by January signings Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis - it was expected Gers would put up a much better fight this time round. Ryan Jack did provide the club with their first league Old Firm win in six years - but they still didn't have enough to halt a Hoops side who won an eighth successive crown by nine points. League Cup (2018/19) Gerrard saw his team kick-off their first bid to reach Hampden with a 3-1 win away to Kilmarnock - but it came at a cost as Jamie Murphy suffered a devastating knee injury. Another comfortable stroll over Ayr United teed up a date with Aberdeen at the National Stadium - but Lewis Ferguson's winner edged the semi-final showdown for Aberdeen after misfit striker Umar Sadiq wasted a glorious chance to score. Scottish Cup (2018/19) Once again it was the Dons who ended Rangers' trophy hopes for the season. Gerrard's team had knocked out Cowdenbeath at Central Park in a re-arranged competition opener but needed two goes to get past Killie, eventually winning the Ibrox replay 5-0. They were taken to a second match by Aberdeen too but this time slumped at home as Niall McGinn and Connor McLennan ensured Gerrard would end his first season empty handed. Europa League (2019/20) Gers again had to qualify the hard way as they faced yet again with four preliminary ties. But after scudding 10 past St Joseph's of Gibraltar and gaining revenge on Pedro Caixinha's old foes Progres Niederkorn, they claimed their place with wins over Danes Midtjylland and Legia Warsaw. They were faced with a tough challenge in the group section as they took on Porto, Feyenoord and Young Boys but big wins against the Portuguese and Dutch giants help them qualify in second place. The thrill ride carried on with a sensational two-leg win against Braga but Gerrard's team were made to wait five months to complete their showdown with Bayer Leverkusen as Covid-19 swept Europa, with the Germans proving two strong in the end. Result: Last 16 Premiership (2019/20) With the additions of Joe Aribo and Filip Helander - plus the permanent signings of Davis and Ryan Kent - Gerrard was hoping to see his side finally get the edge on Celtic. The title race was neck and neck heading into the winter break after Niko Katic's Parkhead winner claimed victory in the New Year Old Firm clash. But a sudden collapse on the team's return from their Dubai camp put the Hoops back in control before the pandemic forced the SPFL to call the season early, with the title awarded to Rodgers' men. Result: Runners up League Cup (2019/20) The Ibrox faithful are still to this day bitter about the way Gerrard's only final appearance played out. His side had roared past East Fife, Livingston and Hearts to reach the Hampden showpiece and looked to be on top as they faced up to Celtic. But while stuttering frontman Alfredo Morelos missed a succession of chances - including a second-half penalty - Rodgers' 10-man Hoops delivered a sucker punch as Christopher Julian pounced from an offside position to snatch the trophy and edge the Parkhead side closer to a remarkable Quadruple Treble. Result: Runners up Scottish Cup (2019/20) With his team's league challenge crumbling, it looked like Gerrard might be set to walk away from Ibrox after his side crashed out of the Scottish Cup early yet again. The Ibrox side had to start with Greg Stewart up front after Morelos was dropped as punishment for returning late from a trip home to Colombia. Without their talismanic striker, the Light Blues laboured and were dumped by an Oliver Bozanic strike. The set-back stunned Gerrard - with the Ibrox boss admitting afterwards he needed 'time to think' about the direction his Ibrox career was going in. Europa League (2020/21) A five-month lay-off imposed by the pandemic allowed Gers and Gerrard to re-set and go again. Rejuvenated, they stormed past Lincoln Red Imps, Willem II and Galatasaray to reach the competition proper. This time, they topped their group after going unbeaten against Benfica, Standard Liege and Lech Poznan. Royal Antwerp were swatted aside 9-5 on aggregate but there was controversy in their last 16 clash Slavia Prague as defeat to the Czechs was overshadowed as Glen Kamara was targeted by a racial slur. Result: Last 16 Premiership (2020/21) With Covid restrictions keeping fans locked out of Scottish stadiums, the Ibrox faithful were forced to watch from their living rooms as Gerrard's team forced Celtic to take a back seat at long last. With summer recruits like Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten and Leon Balogun, Gers finally had the firepower and the defensive muscle to go the distance. And they did it in style, sealing Rangers' first title in a decade with an Invincible campaign while setting a new British record of just 13 league goals conceded across and entire league campaign. League Cup (2020/21) With Celtic floundering as their bid for 10 in a row collapsed, it was expected that Gers would clean up. But they suffered their first bump on the road that season in Paisley as Connor McCarthy's injury time winner handed St Mirren a shock 3-2 win. Scottish Cup (2020/21) St Johnstone had already made the most of Gers' surprise slip-up to lift the first trophy of the season when they arrived at Ibrox for their Scottish Cup quarter-final. James Tavernier's extra-time strike looked to have been enough for Gerrard's team but Chris Kane's last-gasp equaliser - teed up by keeper Zander Clark - sent the game to penalties, where the Perth No1 was again the hero, forcing Gerrard to settle for just Premiership gold that season. Champions League/Europa League (2021/22) Having 'front loaded' their transfer spend to claim that elusive title, the Ibrox board tighten the purse strings this time - but hinted fresh sums could made available if Gerrard could secure a seat at European football's top table. But defeat to Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers was a £20million blow. Gerrard did secure safe passage through to the Europa League groups, from where Gio van Bronckhorst would take over and set a course for Seville. Premiership (2021/22) It was looking good for two-in-a-row when Gerrard announced he was quitting to take over as Aston Villa boss. Helander's winner in the opening derby of the season helped open up a four point lead by the time the gaffer negotiated his exit down south. But it wasn't enough as yet another mid-season collapse under van Bronckhorst allowed Ange Postecoglou's new-look Celts to snatch the title back.
Miami Herald
10-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Mystery ruins turn out to be ‘once-in-a-lifetime' ancient find in North Macedonia
Under a grassy field in southeastern Europe sat some mysterious ancient ruins. Archaeologists had known about the site for decades but didn't know much about its age or purpose — until now. Recent excavations and radar scans showed the site to be a 'once-in-a-lifetime discovery.' A joint team of American and Macedonian archaeologists decided to revisit the archaeological site of Gradishte near Crnobuki, North Macedonia, in 2023 and 2024. Known since the 1960s, past archaeologists had excavated Gradishte and suspected it was 'a military outpost built to defend against Roman attacks,' California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, said in an April 4 news release. In hopes of solving the mystery, the team used 'ground penetrating radar and cutting-edge drone-deployed LIDAR' scans to survey Gradishte. To their surprise, the scans revealed the ruins actually spanned over 7 acres. When the team began digging, they encountered another surprise: a small silver coin made during the reign of Alexander the Great, about 2,300 years ago, the university said. They also found game pieces, tools, pottery and even a theater ticket. Based on their finds, archaeologists identified Gradishte as a forgotten city established by ancient Macedonians before the rise of the Roman Empire. Archaeologists described it as 'a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,' the university said. 'This discovery is significant,' Nick Angeloff, a university professor and archaeologist, said in the release. 'It highlights the complex networks and power structures of ancient Macedonia, especially given the city's location along trade routes to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey).' Much about the ancient city remains a mystery. Archaeologists suspect the city ruins may have a 'Macedonian-style theater' yet to be discovered. Angeloff theorized that Gradishte could be 'the lost capital city of the Kingdom of Lyncestis' or the birthplace of 'the grandmother of Alexander the Great,' but neither possibility has been confirmed. 'All these studies are just a small part of the research of early European civilizations,' Engin Nasuh, an archaeologist with North Macedonia's National Institute and Museum Bitola, said in the release. 'We're only beginning to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this period.' Excavations at Gradishte also unearthed a roughly 4,000-year-old workshop used for 'seed processing' and 'milling,' suggesting 'humans began occupying (the area) as far back as the Bronze Age.' Archaeologists plan to continue work at the Gradishte site. North Macedonia is a landlocked country in southeastern Europe, bordering Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo and Serbia.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
Why you should visit Thessaloniki, Greece's 'city of gastronomy'
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The sun has just popped over Thessaloniki's jumbled rooftops but there's already a queue out the door at Bougatsa Bantis. Inside, baker Philippos Bantis is handling the morning rush, bantering with his customers, many of whom he greets by name. It doesn't take long to get through the orders, since they're all for the same thing: bougatsa, the rich, crispy, buttery filo tart that's a breakfast staple in Thessaloniki. Traditionally, it's filled with creamy vanilla custard and dusted with icing sugar, but purists prefer it sketa, with no filling. Some scoff their bougatsa outside the shop, accompanied by chocolate milk or nuclear-strength Greek coffee, but most eat it on their way to work. There's a reason for Bantis's popularity. Unlike some bakeries in the city, it still makes its filo by hand. Every morning, Philippos and his team roll, knead, stretch and throw their dough, using techniques learned from his grandfather, who founded the shop in 1969. 'Everyone has their favourite shops for bread, cheese, cakes and treats,' explains food guide Nana Zygoura, when we meet later that morning near the 15th-century White Tower, a landmark feature of Thessaloniki's waterfront. 'I still use the same ones my parents did. Traditions and relationships like that are very important here.' Dressed in a silk scarf, white shirt and oversized shades, Nana has spent most of her life in Thessaloniki, and knows the city's food scene better than most. For over 2,000 years, Thessaloniki has been a cultural and culinary crossroads. On the Mediterranean's northeastern edge, it's a natural meeting point between Europe, Africa and Asia. Since its foundation in 315 BCE, the city has been visited — and occupied — by successive empires: first Macedonians, then Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, before becoming Greek in 1913. Caravanserais of traders, merchants, adventurers, immigrants and refugees came, bringing spices, herbs, wines and condiments from their homelands, all adding to the city's gastronomic stew. Since 2021, Thessaloniki has been a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, partly in recognition of its long epicurean history. One of the best places to experience its cosmopolitan cuisine is at a market, and Nana and I head for the oldest in the city: Kapani. Sheltered under a rickety glass roof, it feels closer to a North African souk than a Greek market, with dark lanes crammed with shops, illuminated by flickering strip lights. Crates of vegetables are stacked like Jenga blocks, filled with scarlet peppers, rose-purple aubergines and plump figs. Fishmongers holler prices for octopus, swordfish, skate and sardines, while butchers slice from carcasses suspended from meat hooks. Bakeries sell koulouria — chewy, sesame-encrusted bread rings, another popular Thessaloniki breakfast snack — and shopkeepers haggle with their clientele, filling bags with spices, nuts, olives and cheeses. It's messy, noisy and chaotic. We stop at Notis, a traditional delicatessen on the edge of the market, where I meet owner Giannis Xisis under dangling sausage strings and haunches of dried ham. In his gilet and sensible glasses, he looks more like an accountant than a market trader, but he's serious when it comes to food. 'We're fortunate in Thessaloniki,' he says, as we taste his favourite local cheeses, which range from creamy and sweet to salty and sharp. 'Everything is on our doorstep here: fantastic seafood, fruit, vegetables, cheese. I can find everything I need within 50 miles of the city.' On Giannis's recommendation, I hike up to the old town, Ano Poli, for lunch. Thessaloniki was ravaged by fire in 1917; the city's blocky high-rises and grid-straight streets are largely a legacy of its hasty reconstruction. Ano Poli, spanning a ridge beside the city's Byzantine walls, was one of the few areas to escape the blaze. Narrow streets meander up the hillside between tenement blocks and crayon-coloured mansions. Cats stalk the pavements and laundry hangs between buildings like bunting. Lunch is at Tsinari, Ano Poli's most venerable ouzeri — a neighbourhood diner serving mezedes (small plates). It's full, but owner Lefteris Papadopoulos squeezes another table onto the overcrowded terrace, bringing out a banquet of fried peppers, courgette fritters, stuffed vine leaves, souvlaki and a Greek salad. The restaurant has been in business since the 1860s, Lefteris tells me proudly, and with its checked tablecloths, black-and-white photos and old paintings, it seems little has changed since. 'People come for a taste of the old days,' says waiter Giannis Kofidis, balancing plates with the precision of a circus juggler. 'We keep things traditional.' While I settle up, Lefteris pours me a shot of tsipouro, a fiery, aniseed-flavoured spirit, similar to ouzo. Dating back to the days of the Byzantine empire, it was first distilled by the monks of Mount Athos seven centuries ago. Provenance aside, it's potent stuff: the walk downhill feels distinctly unsteadier than I remember. As dusk melts over the Mediterranean, I wander back into the lanes around the White Tower. Diners are crammed onto pavement patios, enjoying mezze and cocktails. Stopping for a quick aperitif at Prigipessa, one of the most popular music bars in the old town, I find Duo Themis Papaminas and Giannis Tsipos playing old folk tunes on a guitar and mandolin, their audience singing along with gusto. Before long, they're linking arms and circling the bar in a traditional sirtaki dance. I join in for a toast, then detour along the seafront as the setting sun turns the sea bubblegum pink and, high above the city, swifts swirl over Ano Poli's Byzantine battlements. After dark, I join the throngs heading for Ladadika, a harbourside neighbourhood once notorious for its brothels, now the thrumming heart of Thessaloniki's nightlife. It's as chaotic as a street carnival. Buskers crank out old tunes on street corners, mopeds whine up and down alleys, chatter drifts out of doorways and bassy beats whump from backstreet clubs. There's a quieter option: a corner taverna called To Kourbeti, where I meet Lazarus Vasiliou, a private chef on luxury yachts who's recently returned to the city after years in Athens. 'Thessaloniki is changing,' he says, as he tucks into strips of honeyed pork and dakos (barley rusk topped by tomato and feta). 'The city has been in Athens' shadow for too long. Many young people are returning now. We're learning to love what we have here. And for that, I say 'yamas'!' He clinks my glass and suggests a dessert: kazan dipi, a caramelised milk pudding with crispy, burnt-sugar edges and a creamy centre. 'This is a very old dish from Byzantine times,' he says. 'Legend says it was invented by the chefs of the palaces in Constantinople [now Istanbul] a thousand years ago, and we're still eating it here today.' Like so many dishes in Thessaloniki, it's the past and the present on a plate. Published in the April 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
05-04-2025
- National Geographic
Why you should visit Thessaloniki, Greece's 'city of gastronomy'
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The sun has just popped over Thessaloniki's jumbled rooftops but there's already a queue out the door at Bougatsa Bantis. Inside, baker Philippos Bantis is handling the morning rush, bantering with his customers, many of whom he greets by name. It doesn't take long to get through the orders, since they're all for the same thing: bougatsa, the rich, crispy, buttery filo tart that's a breakfast staple in Thessaloniki. Traditionally, it's filled with creamy vanilla custard and dusted with icing sugar, but purists prefer it sketa, with no filling. Some scoff their bougatsa outside the shop, accompanied by chocolate milk or nuclear-strength Greek coffee, but most eat it on their way to work. There's a reason for Bantis's popularity. Unlike some bakeries in the city, it still makes its filo by hand. Every morning, Philippos and his team roll, knead, stretch and throw their dough, using techniques learned from his grandfather, who founded the shop in 1969. 'Everyone has their favourite shops for bread, cheese, cakes and treats,' explains food guide Nana Zygoura, when we meet later that morning near the 15th-century White Tower, a landmark feature of Thessaloniki's waterfront. 'I still use the same ones my parents did. Traditions and relationships like that are very important here.' Dressed in a silk scarf, white shirt and oversized shades, Nana has spent most of her life in Thessaloniki, and knows the city's food scene better than most. Photographs by Oliver Berry For over 2,000 years, Thessaloniki has been a cultural and culinary crossroads. On the Mediterranean's northeastern edge, it's a natural meeting point between Europe, Africa and Asia. Since its foundation in 315 BCE, the city has been visited — and occupied — by successive empires: first Macedonians, then Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, before becoming Greek in 1913. Caravanserais of traders, merchants, adventurers, immigrants and refugees came, bringing spices, herbs, wines and condiments from their homelands, all adding to the city's gastronomic stew. Since 2021, Thessaloniki has been a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, partly in recognition of its long epicurean history. One of the best places to experience its cosmopolitan cuisine is at a market, and Nana and I head for the oldest in the city: Kapani. Sheltered under a rickety glass roof, it feels closer to a North African souk than a Greek market, with dark lanes crammed with shops, illuminated by flickering strip lights. Crates of vegetables are stacked like Jenga blocks, filled with scarlet peppers, rose-purple aubergines and plump figs. Fishmongers holler prices for octopus, swordfish, skate and sardines, while butchers slice from carcasses suspended from meat hooks. Bakeries sell koulouria — chewy, sesame-encrusted bread rings, another popular Thessaloniki breakfast snack — and shopkeepers haggle with their clientele, filling bags with spices, nuts, olives and cheeses. It's messy, noisy and chaotic. We stop at Notis, a traditional delicatessen on the edge of the market, where I meet owner Giannis Xisis under dangling sausage strings and haunches of dried ham. In his gilet and sensible glasses, he looks more like an accountant than a market trader, but he's serious when it comes to food. 'We're fortunate in Thessaloniki,' he says, as we taste his favourite local cheeses, which range from creamy and sweet to salty and sharp. 'Everything is on our doorstep here: fantastic seafood, fruit, vegetables, cheese. I can find everything I need within 50 miles of the city.' On Giannis's recommendation, I hike up to the old town, Ano Poli, for lunch. Thessaloniki was ravaged by fire in 1917; the city's blocky high-rises and grid-straight streets are largely a legacy of its hasty reconstruction. Ano Poli, spanning a ridge beside the city's Byzantine walls, was one of the few areas to escape the blaze. Narrow streets meander up the hillside between tenement blocks and crayon-coloured mansions. Cats stalk the pavements and laundry hangs between buildings like bunting. To come to Thessaloniki means embracing Greek hospitality at local ouzerias like Tsinaris. Photograph by Oliver Berry Lunch is at Tsinari, Ano Poli's most venerable ouzeri — a neighbourhood diner serving mezedes (small plates). It's full, but owner Lefteris Papadopoulos squeezes another table onto the overcrowded terrace, bringing out a banquet of fried peppers, courgette fritters, stuffed vine leaves, souvlaki and a Greek salad. The restaurant has been in business since the 1860s, Lefteris tells me proudly, and with its checked tablecloths, black-and-white photos and old paintings, it seems little has changed since. 'People come for a taste of the old days,' says waiter Giannis Kofidis, balancing plates with the precision of a circus juggler. 'We keep things traditional.' While I settle up, Lefteris pours me a shot of tsipouro, a fiery, aniseed-flavoured spirit, similar to ouzo. Dating back to the days of the Byzantine empire, it was first distilled by the monks of Mount Athos seven centuries ago. Provenance aside, it's potent stuff: the walk downhill feels distinctly unsteadier than I remember. As dusk melts over the Mediterranean, I wander back into the lanes around the White Tower. Diners are crammed onto pavement patios, enjoying mezze and cocktails. Stopping for a quick aperitif at Prigipessa, one of the most popular music bars in the old town, I find Duo Themis Papaminas and Giannis Tsipos playing old folk tunes on a guitar and mandolin, their audience singing along with gusto. Before long, they're linking arms and circling the bar in a traditional sirtaki dance. I join in for a toast, then detour along the seafront as the setting sun turns the sea bubblegum pink and, high above the city, swifts swirl over Ano Poli's Byzantine battlements. After dark, I join the throngs heading for Ladadika, a harbourside neighbourhood once notorious for its brothels, now the thrumming heart of Thessaloniki's nightlife. It's as chaotic as a street carnival. Buskers crank out old tunes on street corners, mopeds whine up and down alleys, chatter drifts out of doorways and bassy beats whump from backstreet clubs. There's a quieter option: a corner taverna called To Kourbeti, where I meet Lazarus Vasiliou, a private chef on luxury yachts who's recently returned to the city after years in Athens. 'Thessaloniki is changing,' he says, as he tucks into strips of honeyed pork and dakos (barley rusk topped by tomato and feta). 'The city has been in Athens' shadow for too long. Many young people are returning now. We're learning to love what we have here. And for that, I say 'yamas'!' He clinks my glass and suggests a dessert: kazan dipi, a caramelised milk pudding with crispy, burnt-sugar edges and a creamy centre. 'This is a very old dish from Byzantine times,' he says. 'Legend says it was invented by the chefs of the palaces in Constantinople [now Istanbul] a thousand years ago, and we're still eating it here today.' Like so many dishes in Thessaloniki, it's the past and the present on a plate. How to do it This story was created with the support of Audley. Audley Travel offers a seven-day, tailor-made trip to Greece, including three nights in Thessaloniki, car hire, accommodation on a B&B basis, excursions and flights, from £3,230 per person. Nana Zygoura 's four-hour food tours start from £60 per person.
