St. Dimitar of Thessaloniki church

The church is located in the north slope of Trapezitsa, on the right bank of the river Yantra.

Church involves milestone events in the history of Bulgaria – announcement uprising of the brothers Assen and Peter against Byzantine domination, resumption of the Bulgarian state and the proclamation of Veliko Tarnovo as a capital. In the first few decades of restored Bulgarian state it was Church of Assen dynasty who were also its donors. Legend around the uprising of the two brothers is based on stories of the Byzantine hronist Nikita Honiat.

Legend tells that, the two Tarnovo boyars Assen and Petar announced that patron of Thessaloniki, warrior-martyr St. Dimitar has left his town and its famous temple and came in Tarnovo, to help the Bulgarian people free . This way bulgarians believed that they have a saint to protect them and rised up.

Architectural restoration of the church began in 1977 on a draft of Arch. T.Teofilov. Art restoration took place under the leadership of B. Dzhivdzhanova.