For fire in the surrounding area and inside the Holy Monastery of Saint Loukasa monument registered in its World Heritage List Unescoinforms me announcement of the YPPOA.

“The big fire in the area of ​​T.K. Steiriou of the Municipality of Distomo-Arachova – Antikyra Boeotia particularly threatened the Monastery of Saint Loukas, a monument registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. With the timely and coordinated intervention of the Fire Service and thanks to the systematic deforestation of the surrounding area, which had preceded, by the Municipality of Distomo-Arachova-Antikyra, the Catholic Church of the Monastery, the Church of Panagia, the Crypt, the Fotanama, the Bordonareio and the North-Eastern Lodges did not suffer any damage”, notes the announcement of the YPPOA.

According to the same announcement, the fire damaged part of the surrounding area of ​​the Monastery, burned the roof of the abandoned cell of the monk Ioasaf, from the 19th century, in the southeast wing of the Monastery, resulting in the collapse of the building, while it caused damage to the sanitary facilities of the visitors.

“Thanks to the immediate actions of the staff of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia, immediately after the fire broke out, at a very short distance from the Monastery, visitors and pilgrims who were inside the monument at that time were quickly and safely removed. The Monastery of Saint Loukas has been included in the monuments studied by the joint working group of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection with the scientific collaboration of the University of Athens. In this context, a fire extinguishing study was prepared by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia, it was competently checked by the Fire Service, it was updated and it is about to be introduced to the Central Archaeological Council, in order to immediately start the tendering process for the project”, adds the YPPO in its announcement.

After the fire, the regional governor of Central Greece Fanis Spanos, the deputy regional governor of Boeotia Fani Papathoma, the deputy regional governor of Public Health and Social Care Konstantinos Bakomitros, the mayor of Distomo-Arachova-Antikyras Ioannis Stathas and the minister of culture Lina Mendoni, accompanied by the director of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities Ioulia Papageorgiou and the Head of EFA Boeotia Alexandra Harami. “When the conditions of approach were safe, the above accompanied by the commander of the Fire Brigade Livadia, fire chief Periklis Kulkouvini and the abbot of the Monastery Fr. Seraphim, entered the Monastery in order to check the damage that had been caused. Within the monastic complex were the Venerable Metropolitan of Thebes, Levadeia and Avlis, etc. George, and members of the fraternity, who assisted in extinguishing the fires. Instructions were immediately given by the minister for rescue operations in the area, so that it could be returned to the public as soon as possible (removal and cleaning of the products of the fire, repair of the sanitary facilities, assessment of the damage to the section of the Southeast Wing […]. Subsequently, the head of the EFA Boiotia with an official rank went to the Post-Byzantine Monastery of Saint Seraphim, given the fire that was raging in a neighboring area. No problem was created in the Monastery”, concludes the same announcement.

The archaeological site of the Monastery of Saint Loukas will remain closed to the public, until the cleaning and restoration of the damage to the sanitary facilities is completed.