site.btaPatriarch Daniil Pays Respect to Relics of Samokov’s Patron Saint

Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil arrived in Samokov. He was welcomed by Mayor Angel Dzhorgov, local clergy, laypeople, and children from the Sunday school affiliated with the church.

Upon entering the church, Patriarch Daniil venerated the relics of great martyr St. Simeon of Samokov. He presided over a patriarchal holy liturgy on the day when the memory of the town's patron saint is honored.

This is the second year that Patriarch Daniil has led a liturgy in the Belyova Church after the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The liturgy and the concert at Belyova Church are part of the festivities for the town holiday of Samokov, which began yesterday.

In December 2024, the Municipal Council of Samokov decided to erect a monument to Simeon of Samokov in honor of the 290th anniversary of his martyrdom, which took place on August 21, 1737. The monument will be placed near the area surrounding the Bayrakli Mosque.

Great martyr Simeon of Samokov, born with the secular name Simeon Popovich, holds a significant place in Bulgarian history. He became Metropolitan of Samokov in the autumn of 1734. At that time, organized resistance against the Ottomans began within the Samokov diocese. The center of the conspiracy was the Lozen Monastery of St. Spas, and its leader and main initiator was Metropolitan Simeon of Samokov.

Around July 20, 1737, he was arrested; his episcopal residence was looted and destroyed, and Simeon was chained and thrown into prison, where he was tortured for 23 days. Around August 18, the metropolitan, still in chains, was taken to Sofia as the leader of the conspiracy against the sultan. He was imprisoned and tortured for three more days and then hanged behind the Church of St. Sophia on August 21.

Ali Pasha forbade his burial in Sofia. The body of Metropolitan Simeon was buried in the narthex of Belyova Church, to the left behind the entrance. In 1994, during archaeological excavations, his grave was discovered, containing part of his relics, a portion of the Gospel, his bishop’s staff, and a gold-embroidered vestment.

The saint’s relics now rest in a prominent place inside the Belyova Church, and the date of his death, August 21, has been declared the official holiday of the town of Samokov.