The Arch of Galerius, known in Thessaloniki simply as Kamara (the Arch), stands on Egnatia Street in the city centre. It was built around 300 AD to celebrate the Roman emperor Galerius's victory over the Persians, and its marble-faced pillars are still covered with carved scenes of battles, captives and emperors. Today it is the city's favourite meeting point.
The Arch of Galerius at a glance
- Where: Egnatia Street at the corner of Dimitriou Gounari, between the Rotunda to the north and the remains of Galerius's palace to the south.
- Built: around 298–303 AD, as part of Galerius's palace complex.
- What it is today: a partly preserved Roman gateway standing in a pedestrian square, open to view at any time.
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes, longer if you walk on to the Rotunda and the palace.
A victory gate for a Roman tetrarch
At the end of the 3rd century the Roman Empire was ruled by four emperors at once, the Tetrarchy. Galerius, at first one of the two junior emperors (Caesars), made Thessaloniki his base and built a grand imperial quarter: a palace near the sea, the Rotunda on higher ground, and between them a processional way passing through this arch. The arch celebrated his campaign of 297–298 against the Sassanid Persians and their king Narseh, which ended with the capture of the Persian capital, Ctesiphon. Galerius went on to become a senior emperor (Augustus) in 305.
The monument was originally an eight-pillared gateway with three arched passages: a central one about 9.7 metres wide and 12.5 metres high, and two smaller ones at the sides. The Via Egnatia, the city's main east–west street, ran through it, as Egnatia Street still does beside it. Brick cores were faced with marble relief panels. Only three of the eight pillars and parts of the arches survive; the rest was probably lost in earthquakes. In the 19th century the arch was attributed to other rulers, and it was the Danish archaeologist Karl Frederik Kinch who, in 1890, showed that it belonged to Galerius.
What to look for
- The relief panels on the two pillars beside the old central passage, arranged in four stacked bands separated by carved mouldings.
- The battle scene: Galerius on horseback charging the Persian king Narseh with a lance while an eagle brings him a victory wreath. Pure propaganda: the two never actually met in battle.
- The sacrifice scene: the imperial family giving thanks at an altar, with Galerius's wife Valeria beside him, a composition thought to echo reliefs of the Ara Pacis in Rome.
- The tetrarchs: a panel showing the four emperors together, with Victory figures offering wreaths, and another where only Galerius wears armour and makes the offering.
- The brick core: above and around the reliefs you can see the Roman brickwork, together with modern brick added to hold the ruin together.
- The missing half: on the pavement of Egnatia Street, a different paving marks where the lost eastern pillars once stood.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning, before the square fills with people and the traffic on Egnatia gets loud.
- The upper bands of relief are high up: bring a camera with a zoom or binoculars to make out the details.
- Walk the arch's old axis: a few minutes north to the Rotunda, then south down Dimitriou Gounari towards Navarinou Square and the palace ruins.
Nearby
- Rotunda: the massive round brick building of the early 4th century, later a church and then a mosque, with its minaret still standing; part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thessaloniki's Early Christian and Byzantine monuments.
- Palace of Galerius: the excavated remains of the emperor's palace around Navarinou Square, a few minutes' walk south.
- Hagia Sophia: the 8th-century domed church with a mosaic of the Ascension in its dome, about ten minutes' walk west.
- Church of Agios Dimitrios: the great basilica of the city's patron saint, a longer walk north-west through the centre.
See Thessaloniki with World City Trail
Our Thessaloniki scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 53 minutes of walking. It includes the Rotunda, a few minutes from the Arch of Galerius, and the Church of Agios Dimitrios. You can play in English, German, French, Italian or Greek.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Thessaloniki.
Play the Thessaloniki scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Thessaloniki →
Play the outdoor escape game in Thessaloniki →
Facts checked in October 2026.