2nd Burial for Legendary Bulgarian Tzar 800 Years after Death

Sofia News Agency

The relics of the Bulgaria's Tzar Kaloyan will be buried for a second time in a church the ancient Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo 800 years after his death.

The relics will be put in the gallery of the 40 Holly Martyrs Church, head of the National Historical Museum Bozhidar Dimitrov announced. The funeral will be attended by the President Georgi Parvanov, the Culture Minister Stefan Danailov and other official guests.

When archaeologists first found the bones, they were kept in the Veliko Tarnovo museum, but now they will be moved into a special coffin, made of rustproof, nickel-plated steel with Tzar Kaloyan's personal coat of arms, taken from the ring found in his funeral.

The relics will be buried according to the protocol of a state funeral, as Kaloyan, also called by some western historians Ioanitsa, was the head of state and commander-in-chief if the country.

Tzar Kaloyan is the young brother of Assen and Petar, who restored the Bulgarian state. Kaloyan ascended to the throne in 1197 after both his brothers died in the same year.

During his rule Tzar Kaloyan managed to return to the state of Bulgaria the lands in Thracia, Macedonia, Transylvania and Moravia with his wars against Byzantium, Hungary and Serbia. In 1199 the Tzar received a letter from Pope Innocent III, who was hoping to add Bulgaria to the Catholic Church. Kaloyan answered not until three years later, demanding a king's crown and an independent church. In 1204 Kaloyan was declared emperor by Pope's messenger Cardinal Leo.

In 1205 the new emperor managed to capture Emperor Baldwin of Flanders and jailed him in the legendary Baldwin Tower in the Tsarevets Fortress, there leader of the fourth crusade spent the rest of his life.

Kaloyan was killed by his head commander Manaster in 1207 before the walls of Thessalonica.