12. Modiano Market

Modiano Market – also known as the Central Food Market of Thessaloniki – is more than just a simple urban marketplace. Beyond its products, it embodies a piece of the city’s modern history. 

Its story begins shortly after the Great Fire of 1917, which destroyed nearly 70% of Thessaloniki, including the Talmud Torah synagogue and the surrounding Jewish neighbourhood. French architect and archaeologist Ernest Hébrard was appointed to lead the city's ambitious rebuilding project. In place of the Talmud Torah synagogue and the surrounding area, Hébrard proposed a series of marketplaces.

This is how architect Eli Modiano, in collaboration with Jacob Oliphant, undertook the construction of the market, with Modiano also serving as engineer and project owner. 

Eli Modiano was a member of one of Thessaloniki’s most prestigious and wealthy Jewish families. After studying architecture in Paris, he returned to the city and became a prominent architect, gifting Thessaloniki a number of iconic buildings. 

Construction of the market that now bears his name began in 1922 and was completed in 1925. He created a long, single-storey building with a basement and internal balconies, spanning an area of approximately 2,700 square metres. His vision was to create a European-style market with a multicultural atmosphere.

Modiano Market was officially inaugurated in 1930 with a celebration that was talked about for some time in the city. From its inception, the market was closely linked to the history of the Jewish community and became a vital commercial centre in Thessaloniki, hosting some of the finest shops.

For more than 80 years, Modiano Market housed 144 shops, mainly food-related, including butchers, fishmongers, coffee roasters and grocery stores, as well as cafés and mezedopolia… little tavernas specialising in meze. Its aisles were filled with flavours and colours from all over Greece, attracting Thessaloniki’s urban and upper classes who sought the finest products. 

The Modiano market was not only a food market but also a meeting place. It was declared a historical monument in 1995 for its architectural significance as a typical example of a covered market building. However, the 1990s brought a period of decline, and many shops closed. The market shut its doors in 2017.

In 2022, however, a new chapter opened for Modiano Market. Following extensive renovations, it reopened, blending its historic identity with a modern approach. Today, visitors can once again find high-quality products and flavours from across Greece, experiencing a journey through Thessaloniki’s past and present.

Until the early 20th century, many Jewish Thessalonians worked at Modiano Market, and to meet their religious needs, a synagogue was built opposite the market on Vasileos Irakleiou Street. Since 1984, another synagogue has stood in its place, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Also, very close to Modiano Market –between Komninon, Frangini and Vasileos Irakleiou streets – is the Yahudi Hamam, whose name means "Hamam of the Jews" in Turkish. It dates back to the late 15th or early 16th century and served the needs of the Jewish community. After the opening of the Modiano market, it became known as the "Pazar Hamam" or the "Hamam of the market". The bathhouse suffered severe damage in the Great Fire of 1917 but has since been significantly restored. After World War II, the area around it became known as Louloudadika (the "Flower Market") as small flower shops opened, a name by which it is still known today.