the war Stefan returned to building the Visoki Dečani monastery, his grand edifice in the region of Metohija, which he bestowed with many villages in a charter issued at the end of the year. In the beginning of the year 1331 young king Stefan Dušan rebelled against his father, possibly on the course of further actions against the Byzantine Empire. In stark contrast with his pious father, Dušan was aggressive and was supported by those Serbian nobles who desired wider exploits of the victory by Velebuzhd. During the rebellion (January to April), Bulgarian nobles dethroned Ivan Stefan and brought to rule Ivan Alexander (1331–1371) cousin of Michael. In the long run Velbuzhd opened a period of around 20 years in which Serbia rose to be the strongest state in South-Eastern Europe. When Dušan succeeded in taking over of the throne later in 1331 he launched attacks on Byzantine possessions, securing northern Macedonia in 1333–1334. Later, he exploited the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 to expand his control over all of Macedonia, Albania, Epirus, and Thessaly. Bulgaria and Serbia kept friendly relations and in 1346 Stefan Dušan was crowned Emperor. On 16 April 1346, in Skopje (former Bulgarian capital), he had himself crowned Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks, a title signifying a claim to succession of the Byzantine Empire. These actions, which the Byzantines received with indignation, appear to have been supported by the Bulgarian Empire and tsar Ivan Alexander, as the Patriarch of Bulgaria Simeon had participated in both the creation of a Serbian Patriarchate of Peć and the imperial coronation of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. Dushan made marriage alliance with Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander, marrying his sister Helena. Epic Poetry The battle is believed to be depicted in traditional Serbian epic poetry, in the gusle song Ban Milutin and Duka Hercegovac. See also Second Bulgarian Empire Bulgarian-Serbian Wars Medieval Bulgarian Army Medieval Serbian army Deževa Agreement Mirmiran Footnotes References Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996. Васил Н. Златарски, История на българската държава през средните векове, Част I, II изд., Наука и изкуство, София 1970. External links The battle of Velbazhd (in Bulgarian) The battle of Velbazhd (in Bulgarian) Battles involving the Second Bulgarian Empire Battles involving Serbia in the Middle Ages 1330 in Europe Conflicts in 1330 14th century in Bulgaria 14th century in Serbia History of Kyustendil Bulgarian–Serbian Wars