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[CULTURE] · Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia · 22 sources

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Czar Samuel's remains returned to Bulgaria from Greece

The remains of medieval Bulgarian ruler Czar Samuel have been returned to Bulgaria from Greece following decades of diplomatic negotiations. The handover, which took place in Thessaloniki, was attended by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The remains, which were discovered in 1965 by archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos in the Little Prespa region, were transported to Sofia via military aircraft escorted by fighter jets.

Upon arrival in Sofia, the remains were honored with a state ceremony and subsequently interred in the Church of Saint Sophia. As part of a reciprocal cultural agreement, Bulgaria is returning 48 religious items to Greece that were taken from Greek monasteries during the First World War.

In North Macedonia, the event has sparked political discussion, with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski drawing parallels to the 1946 transfer of Goce Delchev's remains. Meanwhile, Bulgarian scientists plan to conduct interdisciplinary studies, including chemical, isotopic, and DNA analyses, to investigate the remains and determine kinship with other individuals found in accompanying coffins.

Entities

Bulgaria · Czar Samuel · Greece · Iliana Yotova · Kyriakos Mitsotakis · Rumen Radev · Saint Sofia Basilica · Sofia · Tsar Samuel · Tsar Samuil

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