6. The Arch of Galerius (Kamara)

The Triumphal Arch of Galerius, also known as the Kamara, is one of Thessaloniki's most notable Roman monuments. It forms part of the Galerius Palace Complex, built in the early 4th century AD after Galerius chose Thessaloniki as the headquarters of the administrative division of the Roman Empire under his control. 

It was built in 305 AD to commemorate Galerius' victory over the Persians and was essentially a square structure that formed an intersection. Two of the four sides were perpendicular to the Via Egnatia – the grand Roman road that linked Rome to the Empire’s territories in the east – and were about 37m long and 3.8m thick. Only part of one of these two walls remains today. 

Each of these two walls had arched openings, with the middle archway being the largest, through which the Via Egnatia passed. The other two of the four sides of the Arch of Galerius ran parallel to the Via Egnatia and each had a single archway. The road that passed through these arches was the ceremonial route linking the Rotunda and the Palace of Galerius.

The Kamara’s marble reliefs depict scenes glorifying the Tetrarch (the period when two Augusti and two Caesars governed the Roman Empire) and Galerius' military victories.