Bulgaria Welcomes the Mortal Remains of Tsar Samuil to Sofia with a Solemn State Ceremony (PHOTOS)

Bulgaria is welcoming the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil with a state ceremony in central Sofia on October 3. They were transported by Spartan aircraft from Thessaloniki to Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia.

• After more than a thousand years: Tsar Samuil has returned to Bulgaria!

As part of the state ceremony, “Bulgaria Welcomes Tsar Samuil”, Prime Minister Rumen Radev delivered an address. The Bulgarian national anthem was accompanied by a 21-gun artillery salute.

The ceremony continued with a procession to the Church of St Sophia, where members of the public will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Tsar Samuil’s remains, followed by a trisagion service. The sarcophagus containing his remains will be placed in the southern part of the transept of the Basilica of St Sophia – Holy Wisdom.

The Spartan military transport aircraft carrying Tsar Samuil’s remains, escorted by fighter jets, flew over Prince Alexander I Square.

After flying over Sofia, the aircraft landed at the capital’s Vasil Levski Airport, where members of the National Guards Unit carried the coffin containing the remains.

• Watch Footage of the Aerial Escort for Tsar Samuil’s Mortal Remains (VIDEO)

The remains will be transported from the airport to the city centre in a military truck.

Who Was Tsar Samuil? The Bulgarian Ruler Whose Reign Ended in Tragedy