Photos: Pudelek (Marcin Szala), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Андрей Романенко, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Pudelek (Marcin Szala), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Андрей Романенко, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The Forty Martyrs and the tombs of tsars
Your local guide
Nikolay Ivanov
View profile
Highlights
- A church built to mark a victory
- Roman columns reused centuries later
- The tombs of medieval tsars
- How the graves were identified
- One building, a lot of history
About this tour
This session covers one church and the tombs kept inside it, built to mark a Bulgarian victory over the Byzantines. You see the plain exterior, the reused ancient columns, and the tombs of several medieval tsars identified during excavation. It stays within this one building rather than the wider fortress grounds.
I move slowly from the exterior to the tombs, pausing at the columns to explain where the stone originally came from. Filming stays quiet and steady throughout, and questions are welcome as we go.
This suits anyone with a real interest in medieval Bulgarian history rather than a passing glance. It also works well paired with the wider Tsarevets session for fuller context.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Veliko Tarnovo before heading out.
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Church Exterior 17 min
The camera shows the church's plain stone exterior, and I explain why it was built to mark a Bulgarian victory over the Byzantines in the early 13th century.
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Interior Columns 17 min
You see the ancient columns reused inside the church, some brought from earlier Roman and Byzantine buildings, and I point out the carved inscriptions on a few of them.
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Royal Tombs 17 min
The camera settles on the tombs of several medieval tsars, and I explain who is buried here and how the graves were identified during excavation.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about Veliko Tarnovo: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Shopska salad and Varosha, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Sofia time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Veliko Tarnovo, showing you Church Exterior and Interior Columns live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet and the link comes with your booking. Filming inside the church stays quiet and steady, since it is a working place of worship.
Times shown in Sofia time (EET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 26 Oct · 9 seats left From 24,00 €
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