17TH CENTURY ARMENIAN CHURCH UNCOVERED IN BULGARIA

Tert.am
11:45 ~U 21.12.09

A 17th century Armenian church was uncovered during archeological
excavations in the Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo. Presently,
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture is taking steps to recognize the
Armenian church as a valuable state historic cultural monument,
reports the Russian-language news site Caucasian Knot.

Specialists had begun excavation work in April 2009. Historians found
a document from 1588 which stated that in the beginning, there was
a Catholic church in that area, whereas afterwards that land was
purchased by Armenians living in Bulgaria, who, in the 17th century
and on the ruins of the older church, built the Armenian St.

Astvadzadzin (meaning, the Blessed Virgin or Our Lady) church.

Excavations revealed stones with Armenian letters and ornaments,
which bear witness to the fact that an Armenian church was located
on that land in the 17-20th centuries.