The sarcophagus in which the bones of Tsar Samuil will be laid has arrived in Sofia. It will be placed in the southern part of the transept of the Basilica “St. Sophia“.
The sarcophagus, made in Velingrad, measures approximately 2.30 m in length, 90-100 cm in width and 85-90 cm in height and is designed to accommodate a wooden coffin, Nadezhda Klyuchkova, who is making it, explained to BTA yesterday.
The production began on September 25 at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture with the blessing of the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, with the decision on the type of sarcophagus being made by the Sofia Metropolis. The project includes a Christogram, Archangel Michael, Samuil's Fortress with lions and images of two peacocks and a palace. The sarcophagus will be assembled on site in the Basilica “St. Sophia – The Wisdom of God, where it will be placed in the southern part of the transept.
The mortal remains of Tsar Samuil will be welcomed on October 3 at Battenberg Square, from where a procession will begin to the church. Their return to Bulgaria is the result of an agreement between Bulgaria and Greece following negotiations between the two countries.