Among the stolen items from the historic monastery:
907 sacred relics and liturgical objects
430 Ancient Manuscripts & codexes
467 archetypes (books printed before 1500)
It should be noted that the Bulgarians illegally extracted not only the relics of the Monastery of Eicosifinissis, but also numerous other Greek heirlooms from the Monastery of Timios Prodromos of Serres , the Metropolis of Sidirokastro and the Panagia Archangeliotissa Monastery of Xanthi. The Ecumenical Patriarchate , the Holy Metropolises and the authorities of the Local Government have formally requested a return to the stolen Greek heirlooms.
Some examples of sacred items currently in Sofia, Bulgaria
(Top) Artoforio of the Holy Monastery (R) Holy Icons of the Monastery (Far Right) Numerous Reliquaries |
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On 31 March 1917 , four days after the raid, the prefect of Drama, N. Babakopoulos, made a protest against the occupying Bulgarian authorities without any result. In 1918, after the liberation of the area from the Second Bulgarian Occupation, the issue of the return of the relics was discussed in the Greek Parliament. Subsequently, the Greek government demanded the implementation of the Neygus Treaty (1919), according to which all the cultural goods that had been abducted during the hostilities had to be returned. In 1923 the professor of Byzantine archeology and the director of the Byzantine Museum of Athens Georgios Sotiriouwent to Sofia to demand the return of the stolen objects (907 holy cult objects, 430 handwritten codes, 467 archetypes, etc.
