Опит за идентификация на погребания в гроб № 72 от богородичния манастир в местността „Френкхисар“ на средновековната столица Търновград

About the Identification of the Person Buried in Tomb N 72 in the Holy Virgin Mary Monastery in Frenk-Hissar Neighbourhood of the Mediaeval Capital City of Tarnovgrad

Abstract

Remains of a church dated back to the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (13th–14th century) were unearthed in 2014 in Frenk-Hissar neighbourhood, situated to the east of the Tsarevets Hill in present-day town of Veliko Tarnovo, during rescue archaeological excavations.

The church consisted of an altar, naos, narthex, exonarthex situated to the west, a gallery situated to the north, a chapel to the east and a room abutting the southern wall. The plan of the building and the unearthed artifacts allow to suggest that it was a monastery church. The hypothesis is that it is part of the monastery as­semblage of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary mentioned by written sources.

A tomb dated back to the late 14th century was discovered to the north of the church. The person buried there was placed in a semi-seated position. It is known that in the Orthodox world such tombs were built for senior clerics. This provides grounds to suggest that the buried person was a member of the senior clergy in the late 14th century.