Remains of Bulgaria’s Czar Samuel return ‘home’ after 1,000 years

The emperor is a symbol of Bulgarian national identity whose repatriation stoked tensions with Greece.More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria.A symbol of Bulgarian national identity, Samuel was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom before suffering defeat and dying soon after in 1014. His supposed remains were discovered in a Greek border area in the 1960s.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4British Museum director resigns, admits to failings in theft investigationlist 2 of 4Where do the items in the British Museum come from?list 3 of 4How Parthenon sculptures sparked a diplomatic row between Greece and UKlist 4 of 4Thailand readies homecoming for stolen ancient statues located in US museumend of listThe coffin and remains were flown on Saturday to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on board a military aircraft that was surrounded by air force fighter jets.Thousands of people poured into a public square to honour the czar’s arrival, which capped years of fraught negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece until an accord was reached this week.Bulgarian politicians across the spectrum paid tribute to the medieval ruler, listening to the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.“Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.“That is why Europe must not reopen old wounds but must work for peace as the supreme good,” Radev continued, referring to the centuries-old rivalry between neighbouring Greece and Bulgaria.Crowds cheered as fighter jets performed a flypast.Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told the AFP news agency he attended the ceremony “to welcome Czar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs”.“I am here because I am Bulgarian, and a Bulgarian is returning to his homeland,” added Tsanka Zlatkova, 65, a retired art historian.