Fire damages 12th century monastery (Greece)

UPI ^ | 3-5-04

[Indy Pendance]

MOUNT ATHOS, Greece, March 5 (UPI) -- A fire damaged a 12th century Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in north-eastern Greece, but most of the artworks and relics were saved.

The blaze at the Hilandariou monastery, caused by a heater, reportedly destroyed parts of the monks' living quarters dating back to 1188, the BBC reported Friday.

"Only the outside walls were left standing," a local official said.

The fire also damaged frescoes from the 16th and 18th Centuries.

BBC said the 25 monks who live on the site were able to save all the valuable books, manuscripts and icons, some of which date back to the 12th Century.

The fire started Wednesday night and was brought under control Thursday, but parts of it were still smoldering Friday afternoon.

Mount Athos is home to about 20 Christian Orthodox monasteries on a rugged peninsula overlooking the northern Aegean.

Women and even some female domestic animals have not been allowed on the mountain since 1060.

[csvset]

[Asclepius]

The blaze at the Hilandariou monastery, caused by a heater, reportedly destroyed parts of the monks' living quarters dating back to 1188, the BBC reported Friday.

A heater? I thought monks were supposed to shiver in their hair shirts.

[TaMoDee]

See the movie "The Name of the Rose".

[francisr]

Name of the Rose would not be appropriate - Mount Athos is an Orthodox site. The Name of the Rose is set in a post schism western setting. Other than the word monastery, all other comparisons fail.

[TaMoDee]

Other than the few minor theological niceties such as your minor point on schisms between east and west popes, et al, etc the point is that these OLD monasteries burn like a Boy/Girl Scout bonfire once got started.

"Name of the Rose" is one on the finest movies ever made.

Sean at his finest.

The only conparison I made was "monastery".