Culture
Remains of Czar Samuel return to Bulgaria after more than 1,000 years
October 3, 2026 at 08:26 PM
Coverage
3 reports · 1 in Arabic, 2 in English · over 9 hours
AJAl Jazeera English
Remains of Bulgaria’s Czar Samuel return ‘home’ after 1,000 years
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera Arabic
بعد أكثر من ألف عام على وفاته.. بلغاريا تستعيد رفات "القيصر صموئيل"
(opens the publisher’s site)
TGThe Guardian
Remains of medieval tsar return to Bulgaria after decades-long dispute with Greece
(opens the publisher’s site)The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have returned to Bulgaria on a military aircraft, more than 1,000 years after his death.
- The remains arrived in Sofia on Saturday aboard a military aircraft escorted by fighter jets, greeted by thousands with a 21-gun salute.
- The handover follows an agreement between Greek and Bulgarian culture ministers under which Bulgaria will return 48 objects seized from Greek churches during World War I.
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he hoped the handover would bolster Athens's campaign to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the remains belong to both peoples and urged Europe to work for peace rather than reopen old wounds.