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The treasures of the medieval monastery "St. Equal Apostles Peter and Paul" in Veliko Tarnovo are revealed in a joint book by archaeologists Nikolay Ovcharov and Hitko Vachev.

This is the latest book related to the past of medieval Tarnovgrad.

The book presents the results of the excavations carried out in 2008 and 2012, financed by the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov told journalists.

According to him, this is one of the richest collections of jewelry and coins discovered in one place from the medieval period of Tarnovo.

They were found in a necropolis where the princes of the capital Tarnovo were buried in the 13-14th century, and later from the period when the church "St.

Peter and Paul" becomes metropolitan, he specified.

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The studies prove the scientists' hypothesis that there was a large monastery in the area, including the temple "St.

Peter and Paul" and the neighboring church "St.

Ivan Rilski", in which the relics of the saint were kept until they were sent to the Rila Monastery.

The church "St.

Peter and Paul" is no less important than the Boyan church, but it is not as popular as an object of national and international importance, medievalist Prof. Plamen Pavlov said at the presentation of the book.

He specified that the book precisely describes the periods of construction, wall painting and decoration of the church, built in the 20s-30s of the 13th century by the wife of Tsar Ivan Assen II, Tsarina Anna-Maria.

The book is a model publication for archaeological research, with a catalog of finds included, and at the same time very readable, Prof. Pavlov pointed out.

He added that the research on the monumental stone decoration of the temple, composed of dozens of antique and late antique capitals, which become a kind of memorial of the ancient Bulgarian lands, is completely innovative.

The book describes inscriptions, drawings and graffiti from the Middle Ages found in the church.

Among the ornaments is a gold earring and a ring with images of a double-headed eagle - symbols of royal dignity from the beginning of the 14th century.

A ring with the heraldic pose of a griffin is very likely to have been the personal coat of arms of Tsar Michael the Third Shishman, Prof. Ovcharov pointed out.

The importance of the monastery is great for Bulgarian history, because after the fall of Tarnovo under Ottoman rule, it became the residence of Patriarch Euthymius and the metropolitans of Tarnovo, recalled Prof. Hitko Vachev.

In the first years of the 15th century, when the capital was conquered, the temple became a sacred pantheon, in which the holy relics of famous Christian saints such as St.

Ivan Rilski, St.

John of Polivotsky, St.

Mihail Voin, pointed out Prof. Vachev.

The excavations were carried out in the adjacent areas near the temple, but not in the temple itself, where it is possible that books from the royal library were stored after the fall of the capital under Turkish rule, the archaeologist pointed out.

In front of the royal doors of the church there was a tombstone that marked a grave in which the remains of the high bishops of the metropolis were laid, during the restoration of the church the plaque was not put in its place, but stands in the courtyard.

Archaeologists suggest that it be returned to the church doors.

The initiative received the support of the deputy mayor for humanitarian activities, Neiko Genchev.

The book was published with the support of Britos.

The operational director of the company, Anton Nenov, indicated that copies will be donated to Veliko Tarnovo University, the Regional Library and schools.

The public presentation of the book by its authors will take place today at 17:30 in the reading room of the RNB "P.R. Slaveykov".

medieval church

Veliko Tarnovo