Church treasures return to Greece after 109 years

Dozens of church treasures removed from monasteries in northern Greece in 1917 have returned from Bulgaria after 109 years. They are on temporary display at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, before their planned return to the monasteries and church communities they came from.

Dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the objects include religious icons, ceremonial crosses, church robes and a bishop’s throne. Inscriptions and published research helped establish their origins. Among the returned items are silver sections of a covering for an icon of St John the Baptist. The icon remains at the Timios Prodromos monastery in the Serres area; the returned pieces can complete its decorative covering.

The return follows an agreement signed by Greece and Bulgaria on 29 September 2026. Under the same agreement, Greece handed over remains identified as those of Bulgaria’s Tsar Samuel.

The agreement also allows Greek researchers to examine other objects and manuscripts in Bulgarian collections and document their origins, providing a basis for further return requests. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni cautioned that incomplete monastery records make this work difficult, but researchers now have access that can help them build the evidence needed.