Semi-autonomous monastic republic covering around 335 square kilometres

Quake shakes Athos monasteries in Greece

Athen - Earthquakes have been shaking the Greek coast for months - now there has been a seaquake with a magnitude of 5.3. The Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos have also been affected. Plaster is crumbling, chimneys are damaged. The fear of further quakes is great.

Published on 09.06.2025 at 09:13 –

According to media reports (Sunday), the Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos were slightly damaged in an underwater quake off the Greek coast. The magnitude 5.3 quake caused the plaster to crumble off the centuries-old buildings and damaged chimneys, according to reports. There is great concern about further tremors.

"We hope that this was the main quake, but we can't say for sure. It's up and down," the portal ekathimerini.com quoted the head of the Greek seismic engineering authority OASP, Efthymios Lekkas, as saying on Sunday. According to him, the quake was the strongest in a series of "extraordinary phenomena" to date. The series of quakes began 14 months ago.

The semi-autonomous monastic republic of Athos, which covers around 335 square kilometres, is located on the easternmost headland of the Greek peninsula of Chalkidiki. It is home to 20 large monasteries. (KNA)