Experts report on condition of Mt. Athos monasteries after earthquakes

The Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos. Photo: allovergreece.com

Following a series of earthquakes on the Holy Mount Athos, specialists conducted a preliminary inspection of the monasteries and assessed their condition. As reported by the Greek television channel ERTNews, no significant destruction was detected, however damage requiring repair was recorded.

Seismic activity has intensified recently, with the most noticeable being an earthquake of magnitude 4.9 that occurred on March 25, 2026 in the Karyes area.

According to specialists, the first stage of building inspection has already been completed. "We recorded some new cracks that do not cause serious concern, but must be promptly eliminated. In addition, old damage remaining from the previous earthquake has increased," noted the head of the technical group Ilias Perdzinidis.

The greatest damage was identified in a number of monasteries located near the epicenter, including the monasteries of Vatopedi, Hilandar, Zographou, Docheiariou and Simonopetra.

Experts emphasized that thanks to building reinforcement work carried out over recent decades, serious consequences were avoided. "The main thing is that no collapses occurred. With such force of tremors, there could have been serious destruction in unreinforced buildings," the report states.

At the same time, specialists note that seismic activity continues. "We are concerned that underground tremors are recorded daily. The process has not ended," they added.

As the UOJ  reported, on the evening of March 25, an earthquake of up to magnitude 5.0 occurred on Mount Athos, underground tremors were also felt in a number of Northern Greece regions.

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