On an 18-metre-long column is the Gallery of the Khans � Tervel, Krum and Omurtag � those who strengthen the Bulgarian state.

Khan Tervel (701-721) � known as the first Bulgarian diplomat. In the year 705 he helped the Byzantine emperor Justinian II to ascend the throne once again. Justinian awarded Tervel the title of �Caesar�, which made him second only to the emperor and a territorial concession in northeastern Thrace, a region called �Zagore� � strategically important region for the Bulgarian State.

With the gestures of his hands the authors wanted to show Tervel�s diplomacy, the state affairs are to be solved through diplomacy and peace, not through quarrels, wars and confrontations.

Khan Krum (803-814) is in the middle. He was famous not only for his legislation, but also for the territory acquisitions. In 809 the Khan�s successful siege of the strong fortress of Serdica castle was of great importance as its strategic location was a key to Macedonia.

The inscriptions around Krum testify that in 813 reaching the gates of Constantinople, Khan Krum showed his strength by making sacrifice to his gods under the eyes of the confused citizens.

The merging between the two ethnic groups, that had begun, found reflection also in the laws issued by Krum.

Looking at his hands that show limitation he wants to tell us �From here to here, out of these frames it is illegal and punishable.�

And the third Khan is Omurtag the Builder. There is no time more creative than the peaceful time, and that was what Omurtag provided to his people � peace during his reign. He signed a 30-year peace treaty with Byzantium in 815.

Khan Omurtag�s construction activity was perpetuated with plenty of stone inscriptions. There is a famous inscription in the church �St. 40 Martyrs� in the town of Veliko Tarnovo.

We are still astonished at the deep philosophical meaning of Omurtag�s words cut in the stone column: �Even a man lives well he dies and another one is born. And let the born after, seeing this inscription remember the one who created it,� i.e. a man dies and another one is born but only the things created by him remains on this world.