Monastery Art Burned
"PA"
A fire that damaged large portions of an 800-year-old Orthodox Christian monastery on the all-male enclave of Mount Athos in Greece also destroyed centuries-old wall paintings, officials said.
Portions of the Helandariou monastery, which is run by 25 Serbian monks, still smouldered after a fire tore through its northeast wing, library, dining room, reception area, entrance and storage rooms.
The fire also destroyed two small churches, but all books, manuscripts and icons were removed in time with the help of dozens of other monks who rushed over from another monastery and nearby sanctuaries. The destroyed frescoes, dating from the 16th and 18th centuries, were in the small churches.