Church & monasteryNorthern Bulgaria & the Danube

Holy Forty Martyrs Church, the Royal Church of Veliko Tarnovo

The Holy Forty Martyrs Church is a medieval Orthodox church at the foot of Tsarevets hill in Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Built in 1230 to celebrate a famous victory, it shelters royal tombs, some of the most important early Bulgarian inscriptions and the place where independence was proclaimed in 1908. It is a rewarding stop for anyone tracing medieval Bulgaria.

Tsar Ivan Asen II won a great battle on the feast day of the Forty Martyrs and built this church in thanks. Inside, an ancient column still stands upside down, its inscription at the foot.

WhereAt the foot of Tsarevets hill, on the left bank of the Yantra, in Veliko Tarnovo

TypeMedieval Orthodox church, once the royal church of a monastery; national cultural monument

Best forHistory lovers, anyone following the Second Bulgarian Empire, and visitors exploring the old capital

Getting thereIn the town of Veliko Tarnovo itself, right beside Baldwin's Tower and about 1 km from Trapezitsa

The history of the Holy Forty Martyrs Church

Tsar Ivan Asen II ordered this church to be built and painted after his great victory at Klokotnitsa over the Despotate of Epirus, led by Theodore Doukas, on 9 March 1230. That day was the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, which gave the church its name. It rose on the site of a smaller church, probably dedicated to the Mother of God, and became the main church of the Great Lavra monastery at the foot of Tsarevets, between the fortress hills of Tsarevets and Trapezitsa. The tsar's own inscription says he finished it in the twelfth year of his reign.

The church is an elongated basilica with six columns, three semicircular apses and a narrow narthex on the west; the original building measured about 14.65 by 11.7 metres. A mausoleum-like annex, an exonarthex and two galleries were added later. An earthquake in 1327 damaged it badly, and it was restored in the first half of the fourteenth century. Of the wall paintings, probably from the second half of the thirteenth century, fragments survive in the narthex, including saints Elizabeth and Anne and a picture calendar with the months of May, August and November.

Inside stand some of the most important early Bulgarian inscriptions: the columns of Khan Omurtag and of Ivan Asen II and a border column from the fortress of Rodosto, dating to Khan Krum. In his own column the tsar recalls rebuilding the church, defeating the Greek army and taking Theodore captive. Gathering such columns from different eras underlined the continuity of Bulgarian statehood. Saint Sava of Serbia died in Tarnovo in the mid-1230s and was first buried here before his relics were taken to Serbia in 1237. Rulers and nobles of the empire, among them Kaloyan, were laid to rest in and around the church.

Under Ottoman rule the church kept its Christian character for a time, but it was later turned into a mosque; the murals, icons and iconostasis were destroyed and the building was altered in 1853. After the Liberation the church again played a national role. Stefan Stambolov married here on 18 May 1888, and on 22 September 1908 Ferdinand I proclaimed Bulgaria's full independence in it. An earthquake in 1913 badly damaged the building.

Excavations began in 1906 and 1914, and systematic research started in 1969. In 1972 archaeologists opened the burial of a tall man in rich military dress, with a heavy gold seal ring weighing 61.1 grams that bears the inscription “Kaloyan's ring”. After long reconstruction the church was officially reopened on 14 September 2006, and the remains of Kaloyan were solemnly reburied in it on 19 April 2007, eight hundred years after his death.

Curious facts about the Holy Forty Martyrs Church

The column from the fortress of Rodosto is set upside down, so its short inscription, “Fortress of Rodosto”, runs along the lower end.
Khan Omurtag's column carries a Greek inscription about a new palace on the Danube and ends with a thought that every person dies and another is born, so later generations should remember the builder.
A heavy gold seal ring with a heraldic image and the words “Kaloyan's ring” was found in a royal burial in 1972; a seal with the same sign turned up in 1981.
When the prime minister Stefan Stambolov was married here in 1888, the guests are said to have arrived in 40 carriages, a number that echoes the church's name.
A church of the Forty Martyrs also stands on the hill Little Hasara near Stalevo, where tradition says Ivan Asen II directed the battle; on the feast day people still climb to throw a stone towards Klokotnitsa.
According to tradition, the Muslim townspeople disliked the mosque the church had become, since they feared the spirits of the old Bulgarian tsars.

Tours near Holy Forty Martyrs Church

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

ATV/QUAD Off-Road Tour in Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi

★ 5 (61 reviews) · 1.5 h

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Admission Ticket to Illusions in Museum in Veliko Turnovo

★ 4.8 (41 reviews) · 1 h

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Interactive Presentation about Bulgarian Poets

★ 5 (19 reviews) · 40 min

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Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi day tour from Sofia with pickup

★ 4.9 (19 reviews) · 10 h

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Visiting the Holy Forty Martyrs Church: what to expect

The church lies at the foot of Tsarevets in the old capital, so it fits easily into a walk with Tsarevets, Baldwin's Tower and the church of St Demetrius.
Look inside for the inscribed columns of Omurtag, Ivan Asen II and Rodosto, and for the surviving fresco fragments on the west wall of the narthex.
The graves of Bulgarian rulers and nobles, including Kaloyan, make this a kind of pantheon of the medieval state.
Check the current opening hours and visiting conditions before you go; the church has an official website in Bulgarian and English.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Holy Forty Martyrs Church is

Photos of Holy Forty Martyrs Church

Questions

What is the Holy Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo?

It is a medieval Orthodox church built in 1230 at the foot of Tsarevets hill. It was the main church of the Great Lavra monastery and is a monument of national importance.

Why was the Holy Forty Martyrs Church built?

Tsar Ivan Asen II had it built to mark his victory at Klokotnitsa on 9 March 1230. That day was the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, hence the dedication.

Who is buried in the Holy Forty Martyrs Church?

Bulgarian rulers and nobles rest in and around the church, among them Kaloyan, Ivan Asen II and several empresses. Saint Sava of Serbia was first buried here before his relics were moved to Serbia.

What are the inscribed columns inside the church?

They are the columns of Khan Omurtag and of Ivan Asen II and a border column from the fortress of Rodosto. Ivan Asen II had them placed here as a tribute to his predecessors.

What happened here in 1908?

On 22 September 1908 Ferdinand I proclaimed the full independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire in this church.

What else is worth seeing near the Holy Forty Martyrs Church?

Baldwin's Tower and the Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki are right next to it, and Trapezitsa is about 1 km away. The Transfiguration Monastery lies about 5 km away.