On 10 May, 1953, the third ecclesiastical and national council in Sofia declared the Bulgarian Orthodox church a Patriarchate - from an Exarchate.
The Metropolitan Bishop of Plovdiv Cyril was elected patriarch after a 560-year break. In the years that followed, the Bulgarian Patriarchate was recognized by all Orthodox churches. On 27 July, 1961, the Patriarchate of Constantinople also officially recognized the Patriarchate of Bulgaria.
After the fall of Tarnovo under Ottoman rule in 1393, the independent Bulgarian church was done away with and was subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It was only in 1870 that Sultan Abdulaziz, under pressure by the Bulgarians, signed a firman on the establishment of a Bulgarian Exarchate and the independent Bulgarian church was restored.
Photos: Bulgarian Patriarchate, BTA
13 ancient graves were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted on the premises of the National Academy of Art in Sofia. The excavation is led by archaeologist Elena Nikolova from the Regional History Museum. The excavations began on..
Trapezitsa is one of the three hills for which the old Bulgarian capital, Tarnovgrad (the medieval name of today’s Veliko Tarnovo), is famous . Located to the northwest of the town, it stands across from the neighboring hill Tsarevets – the..
On the feast of the Dormition of Saint Ivan Rilski, the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil led the Divine Liturgy at the Rila Monastery. On the eve of the feast, he bowed before the relics of the patron saint of the Bulgarian people..
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