Last Full Day in Thessaloniki

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The first stop we made was to Mandoulides Elementary School to meet the principal and staff and to get a tour of their facilities. Mandoulides is a private school that was established in 1978 as a primary school and in 1991 they expanded their school to include a junior high and high school. When you check out the pictures, please keep in mind this is a private school that is able to charge tuition. With that being said, WOW!!! This place was amazing! Their staff was equally impressive. They told us about their English Garden program that is optional, but it helps their children become bilingual by the age of 5. Starting at the age of 3, the children are immersed in an all English classroom each day and after a couple years these children will be bilingual. The staff also told us about an after school program that is available to all students for any student who needs more help learning their English. Learning a second language is a priority in all schools here in Greece and learning English is a top priority too.

After saying our good-byes, we took a long bus ride to Vergina to visit the Royal Tombs. In the late 1970’s, an archaeologist discovered King Philip’s Royal Tomb. King Philip was Alexander the Great’s father. It is very rare when archeologists are able to find tombs that have not been loitered, but these tombs were left intact, just as they were thousands of years ago. In fact, the only other tomb, found untouched, more famous is King Tut’s tomb in Egypt. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside, so you will only see a couple pictures of us walking inside the mound. I really hate that I wasn’t able to take pictures, because it was incredible inside. These were the tombs of royalty, so we saw a lot of gold. Gold crowns, gold armor, gold shields, and lots of other amazing artifacts. What was even more impressive than the gold crowns was standing just outside the doors that sealed his tomb shut so long ago. The sheer size of the doors and frame took your breath away, almost in a pure reverence way. You could still see the color and some of the scenes that was painted on the frame.

The next stop was Pella to see the land that Alexander the Great played on while growing up. The museum in Pella that we visited had several artifacts that have been found in a house that is called Dionysos House. They are still looking for the theater and for the palace, but this land was where Alexander the Great grew up.

Finally we made our way back to Thessaloniki but a few of us made one last stop before dinner. A few of us went to the Jewish Museum to learn a little more about their story in Thessaloniki. There were several artifacts, but more importantly we left much more aware. They had a great city fire in 1917 that burned much of the Jewish community. They also experienced an unimaginable loss during Germany’s occupation of Greece during the Second World War. 60,000 Jewish people were taken out of Thessaloniki during this time and very, very few made it back alive. However, our museum guide informed us that the Jewish community is alive and is growing stronger today.

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Photos

Alexander the Great
marble head

Deer and horse
Yes....they had a small zoo at their school.

Mosiac of Alexander the Great
325 B.C. - Dionysos House

Terracotta Figurines
These were used to show typical hairstyles back in the day.

1st Floor
This fountain once stood in the courtyard of Ohel Joseph Synagogue.

Minature Monument
In memory of the Jews after WWII.

Comments

[Erin]

Zoo?!
Wow! A zoo at their school. That's impressive!