A prayer service and religious procession were held at the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos after a series of earthquakes affected the peninsula, Greek Orthodox news portal Pemptousia reported.

Following the liturgy, Abbot Elder Ephraim led monks and pilgrims in a procession around the monastery’s main church. Relics and treasured icons — including the revered Belt of the Virgin Mary and other holy remains — were carried in the procession as participants prayed for an end to the tremors and for protection from their effects.

A 4.9-magnitude quake struck near the town of Karies over the weekend, Greek media reported. The tremors caused cracks in walls, damage to monk cells and fallen plaster at a number of monasteries, including Vatopedi, Hilandar and Zograf, though authorities said no major structural collapses occurred.

Seismologists say seismic activity in the region continues, with repeated aftershocks and the potential for a prolonged sequence. Experts warn the greatest risk to Mount Athos is the cumulative wear to centuries-old stone structures, which could lead to increasing damage over time.

Mount Athos, a center of Orthodox monasticism and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to 20 monasteries, many of them historic monuments vulnerable to seismic activity.