Patriarch Evtimiy of Bulgaria

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Statue of patriarch Evtimiy in Sofia. It is a very popular meeting place known as Popa (The Priest).

Patriarch Evtimiy (Bulgarian: Патриарх Евтимий) was a 14th century Bulgarian scholar.

Evtimiy is probably best known for his part in the events surrounding the fall of Tarnovo, the last capital of The Second Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1393. As the invading Ottoman armies approached the city, the king, Ivan Shishman, fled to Nikopol. Patriarch Evtimiy took the defence of Turnovo in his own hands and the city managed to withstand the Ottomans attack for some three months. Finally, with exhausted food supplies, the city caved in. Patriarch Evtimiy was captured and the Ottoman Sultan ordered him to be beheaded. Legend has it that, as the executioner rose his axe, his hand turned to stone. Whether true or not, the Sultan commuted his death sentence and sent him into exile instead.

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