Bulgaria Recovers Remains of Medieval Tsar Samuel From Greece
Bulgaria has received the remains of Tsar Samuel, who ruled the First Bulgarian Empire until his death in 1014, following decades of negotiations with Greece. Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria held a commemorative service at the Church of St. Sophia in Sofia on October 3 to mark the historic repatriation. The return represents the resolution of a long-standing diplomatic and historical matter between the two neighbouring countries.
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The remains believed to belong to Tsar Samuel have been returned to Bulgaria after remaining in Greece for over a millennium. Samuel ruled the First Bulgarian Empire until his death in 1014, according to Orthodox Times and the Associated Press. The repatriation followed protracted negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece, two neighbouring countries with a shared medieval history. Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria presided over a memorial service at the Church of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, in Sofia on October 3. Several metropolitans of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church concelebrated with him during the ceremony. Samuel's empire was once one of the most powerful states in the Balkans before its defeat by the Byzantine Empire in the early eleventh century. The return of the remains closes a long-running chapter in the diplomatic and historical relations between Bulgaria and Greece, both of which share the legacy of this medieval period.
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