Terrible news of a fire was announced from the Monastery of St. John the Forerunner near Serres, Greece in mid-December 2010. The Monastery was set ablaze following a number of snowy days on Mt. Menoikeion in the mountains of northern Greece. The fire is said to have started from the wood burning stove.
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| Above is the monastic complex. The area that I darkened in black and white on front left side of the complex is the area destroyed by the fire. |
Over 25,000 square feet of the complex was “covered in ashes and ruins” following the terribly destructive fire that raged throughout the early morning hours. Fortunately, Nobody was injured and news articles have reported that many of the rare icons (paintings on wood) were miraculously saved. However, the monastery, which was founded in the late 13th century, had undergone a rebirth since it was re-inhabited by the sisterhood of nuns after being abandoned by monks years earlier. Twenty five years ago, the abbess and two other sisters committed themselves to the dilapidated site and transformed it into a home for a religious family and a self-sufficient business, as well as a community stronghold. Their story is truly remarkable and the recent fire is a tragic event that has destroyed much of their hard work.
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| Before and after pictures. Before pictures were taken by me during my stay and the after photos were provided by the Monastery on their website |
I had the privilege to join a group of Princeton students led by Nikos two summers ago on the Mt. Menoikeion Seminar. The hospitality we were treated with at the historically charged monastic complex has been one of my favorite travel experiences thus far. Hidden in the mountains for a week and a half at the monastery allowed me time for uninterrupted introspection, filled my stomach with massive amounts of incredible food, and inspired me to understand more about Byzantine architecture and history, Greek Orthodox traditions, and preservation efforts in a living community. I am extremely thankful for the time I was able to spend there and I remain hopeful that the nuns will recover from this terrible disaster.
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| This dining room, which hosted the nuns, our group during our stay, and the community at large during feast days is completely destroyed. Their main kitchen is also part of the ruins... |
The following were my blog posts recording my experience in chronological order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Review
In addition, click here to see the monastery’s website that has a letter from the abbess as well as photos and links related to the fire.
I try to imagine the anxiety and frustrations of dealing with such a disaster. The beauty of the remoteness and limited access are in direct contrast to the ease or ability to provide emergency services. I sincerely applaud the efforts and success of those volunteers and emergency personnel that responded.
ReplyDeleteIt was miraculous that more area wasn't severely damaged by the fire and that is the result of great emergency personnel as you said. I'm trying to imagine fire engines driving up the narrow, winding mountain roads from Serres (15 minute drive from the edge of town).
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