48 historical relics return to Greece as Mitsotakis and Radev sign protocols in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki hosted a ceremony on Saturday at which Greece and Bulgaria formalized agreements on the return and mutual acceptance of historical relics and anthropological materials.

The documents were signed by the culture ministers of the two countries, Lina Mendoni and Eftim Milosev, in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mitsotakis said that cultural monuments should not be considered “spoils of war.” According to him, the agreement reached represents not only a cultural exchange but also conveys a broader message.

The Greek prime minister expressed his belief that cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria would continue, with the aim of creating opportunities for the return of other historical relics to their countries of origin.

The relics returning to Greece

The 48 historical relics were sent to Sofia in 1917, during the First World War. For many years, they were held or displayed at Bulgaria’s National Historical Museum.

The objects belong to three religious institutions in northern Greece: the Holy Monastery of Panagia Eikosifoinissa, the Holy Monastery of Timios Prodromos of Serres, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita.

After arriving in Greece, the relics will be displayed to the public in a special exhibition at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. The exhibition will remain open until November 5.

When the exhibition closes, the 48 objects will be returned to the institutions from which they were taken. They will be handed over to the Holy Monasteries of Timios Prodromos of Serres and Panagia Eikosifoinissa, as well as the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita.