A monastery in the heart of the city is not something you come across quite often. This is not the case of Agia Theodora Monastery, an oasis of peace and tranquility right in the middle of the noisy urban landscape. Initially it was dedicated to Agios Stefanos, the first Christian martyr. In 1430, after the fall of Constantinople, it was not turned into a mosque, being also one of the few monasteries that were never turned into a mosque even after the fall of Thessaloniki. Since the 18th century the monastery became a parish church.
The fire of 1917 led to the full distraction of the monastery’s catholicon apart from the bell tower. The new temple was constructed right next to the old one, with its catholicon containing the myrrh-flowing relic of Agia Theodora.
Since 1974 it is a male monastery, while in 1989 the Agiological Studies Centre of the Holy Diocese of Thessaloniki was established in its premises. It also supports the Agios Antonios boarding house by its own means and by a series of book publications.
