Thessaloniki or Salonica. City of European Turkey, at the base of a gulf of the same name, and capital of Macedonia, close to the Vardar River, 50 leagues to the southwest of Sophia.

This formerly large and splendid city, known by the name of Thessaloniki , is still populated and commercial. The Jews are involved in almost everything traded, which includes silk, food, cotton, leather, etc . They have several synagogues there; the Greeks also have some churches there, with an archbishop. The Longitude , according to Father Feuillée, Lieutaud, Desplaces and Cassini, is 40. 39'. 30; the Latitude is 40 41'. 10.

The governor of Thessaloniki carries the title of moula and his position puts him in high esteem with the government of the Ottoman Empire [ la porte ]. During the period when Andronicus was trying to take over the empire, Thessaloniki was captured by William, king of Sicily. It was then returnd to the domination of Andonicus Palaiologos, emperor of Constantinople, who, in order to unite with the republic of Venice, yielded the rights he had over Thessaloniki; but Venice enjoyed it for scarcely two years. The Turkish sultan benefitted from the bad state of affairs in Italy, and from the weakness of the inhabitants, who were not in a position to resist him. He sent one of his generals to seize the city, whose master he remained; he granted the tolerance of religion to the Greeks and the Jews, and Thessaloniki flourished again.