10. Museum of the Macedonian Struggle

The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle in Thessaloniki is an important part of the region's historical heritage. 

The impressive neoclassical building housing the museum has its own historical significance. Designed by the renowned German architect Ernst Ziller and built in 1893, it served as the Greek Consulate from 1893 to 1912. 

The period from 1904 to 1906 was especially significant, as it was from here that Consul General Lambros Koromilas coordinated secret operations for the Macedonian Struggle. 

Lasting from 1904 to 1908, the Macedonian Struggle was an armed conflict between Greek and Bulgarian irregular forces aiming to control Macedonia, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. The fighters, known as "Makedonomachi," came from liberated Greece and Crete, although most were Greeks from Macedonia, loyal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The museum was created to highlight the complexity and significance of this conflict, as well as the cultural and social identity of Macedonia. It has seven rooms on the ground floor, with audiovisual material and exhibits such as Macedonian fighters' uniforms, weapons, maps, books and contemporary newspapers, as well as memorabilia and personal items of key figures in the Struggle, such as Pavlos Melas … all of which showcase the main phases of the history of multicultural Macedonia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Through the tour of the permanent collection, you will first explore the social and economic conditions in 19th-century Macedonia, with a focus on the population makeup and the relationships between the various ethnic groups living in the region.

The museum also explores Greek revolutionary movements in Macedonia following the Greek Revolution of 1821, highlighting iconic figures of the Struggle and featuring a reconstruction of the Consul General’s office, from where the actions of the Greeks were coordinated. You’ll learn about the challenges faced by armed groups in towns and villages, as well as the role played by the educators and clergy in the Struggle. Finally, you will see how, with the outbreak of the Balkan Wars, Macedonia was united with Greece, along with aspects of the Macedonian Front during World War I.