Old Metropolis Macedonia

One of the largest Byzantine buildings in the Balkans, this basilica has a chequered past. Dedicated to St Paul in the 11th century, it was remade as a mosque by conquering Turks in 1430 (they added a minaret and plastered over 13th-century frescoes), reconsecrated by the Greeks during the Balkan War (1912), used as a stable by WWII German occupiers, then left in near-ruin. Following extensive restoration, it's again accessible, its austere three-aisled architecture and fabulous frescoes the undoubted highlights.