Sara Theodora

Sources agree that Sarah was of Jewish descent and lived with her family in the Jewish quarter in Tarnovo . Ivan Alexander divorced his first wife Theodora Basarab, who was forced to become a nun, and Sarah converted to Orthodoxy, adopted the name of Theodora and soon became the second wife of the king. Their marriage took place in the late 1340s. Five children were born: sons Ivan Shishman and Ivan Asen V ; daughters of Kera Tamara , Kerats-Maria , Desislav and Vasilisa ^[1] .

The new queen was known for her ardent commitment to her new religion. She was one of the initiators of the church council against the Jews. She rebuilt many churches and built many monasteries, and that is why she became ardently loved by the Bulgarian church.

There is no doubt that Theodora played a significant role in the division of the Bulgarian Empire between her first-born Ivan Shishman and Ivan Sratsimir , the only surviving son of the former queen. Since Ivan Shishman was the first son born of Ivan Alexander after his accession to the throne, Theodora insisted that he was the only legitimate heir. Ivan Shishman was crowned co-emperor by his father, who made his eldest son a despot Vidin . After the death of Ivan Alexander in 1371, Ivan Shishman became king, and Ivan Sratsimir declared Vidin a separate kingdom. Relations between the two Bulgarian empires became cold and remained so, despite the impending threat of the Ottoman invasion.

The date of the Queen’s death is unknown, although some historians suggest that she died in the late 1380s.