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When the emperor Constantine the Great ended the prosecution of the Christians (324 A.D.) and made Christianity the official religion of the Byzantine Empire, people built a small church on the place of the martyrdom of Agios Dimitrios, close to the Roman baths. His grave was said to be miraculous and thousands of pilgrims were coming every year to pay their honors.
 In 413 AD, a bigger three-aisled basilica was founded by the eparch Leontios, which was burnt down two centuries later, in 634 A.D. Shortly afterwards, an even bigger five-isled basilica was built, which remains till today and constitutes the largest church of Greece.
In 1493, during the Turkish occupation, the church was converted into a mosque and in 1912, when the city was deliberated, it became a Christian church again. In 1917, it was once again destroyed by a fire and rebuilt according to the original plans. It started to function again in 1949.
This church houses some spectacular Byzantine mosaics that have been restored and depict Agios Dimitrios and the children of the city. The crypt of the saint, accessed by a staircase behind the sanctuary, is said to be the site where the saint was killed by the Roman soldiers and buried. His crypt was converted into an exhibition area in 1988, hosting articles that survived the 5th century fire, like sculptures, vessels and other decorative items.
Agios Dimitrios became the patron saint of the city in 1912, during the First Balkan War, when the Greek army entered the city of Thessaloniki on his name day (October 26th) and delivered the city from the Turks. Today, his memory is celebrated every year, along with the deliberation of the city, with a big parade and a glorious Mass.
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