Kostas Vlachos

I was baptised in the Church of Saint Demetrios, so the basilica has always felt like family ground to me rather than a stop on a route. On camera I explain how the church was rebuilt after a major fire in 1917, keeping much of its original Byzantine layout despite the damage. I also cover the old Bezesteni market nearby, once a covered hall for textiles under Ottoman rule. I take planning calls too, since I like helping people work out a sensible order through the city's older quarters before they book a filmed session with anyone.