 The Patriarchal Cathedral was destroyed after the Ottomans captured the Bulgarian capital after their Siege of Tarnovo on 17 July <unk> . The church was fully reconstructed in the 20th century ; reconstruction works were carried out by a team under architect <unk> <unk> . These commenced in 1978 and were finished in 1981 , to mark Bulgaria 's <unk> anniversary . However , it was not until November 1985 , when the contemporary murals were finished , that the church was opened once again for visitors . The church 's ruins have been protected as a national antiquity since 1927 ; in 1967 , they were proclaimed an architectural monument of culture of national importance . As part of the Tsarevets architectural reserve , it is also listed among the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria . 
