Crete

The discovery of rare archaeological relics by law enforcement authorities on Crete earlier this month took place while tracking suspected gun traffickers.

The Technical University of Crete's School of Architecture has drafted a proposal for the redevelopment of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) Tzagaroli Monastery, one of the most splendid monastic complexes of the Cretan Renaissance which stretches back to the 17th century. The proposal also envisages its conversion into a Patriarchal Research Foundation.

The Samaria Gorge on the island of Crete will be ready to welcome visitors in May as the maintenance and restoration works of its main path have started, local authorities said on Tuesday. 

The work is being implemented by the Management Unit of Samaria National Park and Protected Areas of Western Crete of the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA). 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is on the island of Tinos with his family, wished Happy Easter to Orthodox Greeks around the world in a post on the social media. Mitsotakis will be attending services on the island during the holiday.

Main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras was spending Easter with his family in Corfu, where he participated in the annual ritual of pot smashing.

Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias stated on Wednesday that tourism stands to get an extra boost this year from the opening of the markets of Australia and China, which were closed in 2022.

The improvement of relations between Greece and Turkey and the sharp decrease in tensions is not only at the diplomatic level but also, and almost in tandem, with the operational situation on the ground.

In addition to the opening of channels of communication, both sides have also reached an informal agreement to limit military exercises in the Aegean to the absolute minimum.

A painting by the world-famous artist Jackson Pollock was discovered in Bulgaria during an operation by the Main Directorate "Fighting Organized Crime" and the Greek anti-organized crime services under the coordination of Europol. This was reported by the Bulgarian National Radio from its sources. According to experts, the price of such a painting can reach millions of euros.

"And your husband? How had you met him?" asks the researcher. "At our best man's house. My husband and my best man, they became acquainted on the ship on which they were coming to Canada [in 1963].

The Central Archaeological Council is on the cusp of completing the candidacy file for the inclusion of Crete's Minoan-era ancient palaces of Zakros, Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zominthos and Kydonia in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A 52-year-old man was arrested in the town of Chania, northwestern Crete, on Wednesday when he tried to sell "relics of saints" to a police officer posing as a buyer. 

According to the police, the suspect presented to the officer seven containers and cases which contained a total of 17 bones, which, according to his claims, were relics of Saints of the Roman Catholic Church.