Panagia Chalkeon is located in the center of Thessaloniki in the southwestern side of the Ancient Agora near Egnatia Highway. It was named after the surrounding area, which was known for the workshops of the coppersmiths during the Byzantine period. According to the inscription on the lintel of the entrance, this elegant church was built in 1028 by the "protospatharios" (Imperial Court Officer) Christopher and his wife, Maria. During the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque, known as "Kazancilar Camii" (the mosque of the coppersmiths). It is a four-columned cross-in-square church with a central and two lower domes covering the lofts of the narthex. Its iconographies are works of the 11^th and 14^th century influenced by the art of Constantinople. The Ascension on the dome instead of the Pantocrator is a particular feature of this church, which is probably due to its burial character. This is a church-gem, known to people as the "Red Church" because of the material with which it was made (red brick). This impressive building, like many others in Thessaloniki, is ranked among the World Heritage Sites.