The name of this church means not made by hands, and it refers to an icon of the Virgin that was believed to have appeared miraculously. The building itself is an early Christian basilica from about the middle of the fifth century, one of the oldest surviving churches in Thessaloniki and one of the best examples of its type in the Mediterranean. Inside you find a long nave with a double row of green and red marble columns, topped by carved capitals, and above them a gallery where the women sat. Light falls through the arched windows in a bright, even way, and the proportions are easy and noble. A few fragments of mosaic, with plants and birds, survive on the arches.
When the Ottomans took the city in 1430 they turned it into a mosque, named after the conqueror's commander, and added a minaret that was later taken down. The Greek army reclaimed the building in 1912. It stands at a busy spot on Agiou Dimitriou Street, among shops and cafes, so you could easily pass it without noticing. The simple brick exterior gives few hints of the grandeur within.
Parking near the church is difficult, but a motorcycle can usually find a slot at the pavement edge. The streets are all one-way and filled with traffic, the junctions full of impatient drivers and delivery scooters. Weekends are quieter, particularly early on Sundays, when you can ride through the old centre almost unmolested. There are streets with polished marble paving that become slick in the rain, and in summer the city heat builds up between the buildings. Visit in the morning, and take a few minutes to listen to the quiet inside.
Fuel stations are on the avenues further out, and in the middle of the city you will find shops of every kind. Try the local sweet shops, where syrupy pastries and spoon sweets are sold by weight. There is a long tradition of coffee drinking in Thessaloniki, and the cafes near the church are packed with people from morning until late. If you want to walk further, the Roman Forum and the Arch of Galerius are within a short stroll, and they show how much of the ancient city remains buried below the shops.