Μake us preferred on Google Dozens of valuable historical and ecclesiastical relics taken to Bulgaria in 1917, during the First World War, have returned to Greece after 109 years. They came back under a cultural exchange agreement between the two countries and, according to Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the deal opens the way for Greece to claim more objects.
The relics were presented at midday on Saturday, October 10, at a special event at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, where they will be on show until November 5, 2026. They will then be handed over to the Holy Monasteries of Timios Prodromos in Serres and Eikosifoinissa, and to the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, depending on where each came from.
The collection comprises 48 historical relics, presented as 53 separate objects because some consist of more than one part. They include sacred icons, crosses, ecclesiastical vestments, reliquaries and a bishop’s throne. The objects date from the 16th to the late 19th century and come from church institutions in Macedonia.
C.K
