A memorandum of understanding on the mutual transfer of historically significant relics between Bulgaria and Greece was signed in Athens on Tuesday by the two countries’ culture ministers, Lina Mendoni and Evtim Miloshev, the Greek Ministry of Culture said on its official website.
The Greek ministry described the agreement as historically significant. Under its terms, 48 religious artefacts originating from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary Eikosifoinissa (Panagia Eikosifoinissa), the Monastery of St John the Forerunner (Timios Prodromos) near Serres, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita will be returned to Greece. The artefacts were transferred to Sofia in 1917, during World War I, and have since been exhibited or kept in storage at Bulgaria’s National History Museum, the ministry said.
In return, Greece will hand over to Bulgaria the remains discovered at the Basilica of St Achillius in 1965 by Prof. Nikolaos Moutsopoulos and identified as belonging to Bulgarian Tsar Samuel (997–1014). The transfer will also include other anthropological material recovered from the basilica’s four sarcophagi. In recent years, the remains have been kept at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, the Greek ministry added.
The two countries also agreed to continue negotiations to identify other historically significant objects of mutual interest that were not covered by the current agreement, with a view to including them in a subsequent arrangement.
The relevant handover protocols will be signed at the Museum of Byzantine Culture on Saturday, October 3, in the presence of the two countries’ prime ministers, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Rumen Radev.
Bulgaria, Greece Sign Agreement on Exchange of Historically Significant Relics THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-29 15:30:00
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