Byzantine treasure returns to Greece, Bulgaria receives Tsar Samuil’s remains. Mitsotakis appeals to London: Monuments are not “spoils of war

Greece is recovering 48 historical relics that were taken to Sofia in 1917, during the First World War. For years, they have been held at Bulgaria’s National History Museum, where some were on display and others were kept in its collection.

The relics come from 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 Nigritis.

Protocols for the reciprocal handover of historical relics and anthropological materials between Greece and Bulgaria were signed on Saturday morning at a ceremony in Thessaloniki. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, attended, while the culture ministers, Lina Mendoni and Eftim Milosev, signed the protocols.

In his remarks, Mitsotakis said cultural monuments should not be treated as “spoils of war.” He said the agreement carried significance beyond a simple cultural exchange. He expressed confidence that Greek-Bulgarian cooperation would continue and pave the way for other historical relics to be returned to their places of origin.

After arriving in Greece, the 48 relics will be shown to the public in an exhibition at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, which will remain open until November 5. They will then be handed over to the institutions they came from: the Holy Monasteries of Timios Prodromos of Serres and Panagia Eikosifoinissa, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigritis.