Nesebar, also called Nessebar or Nesebur, is an ancient city and a major seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is located in Burgas Province and serves as the administrative center of the Nesebar Municipality, which shares the same name. Known as the "Pearl of the Black Sea," Nesebar is a city-museum with more than 3,000 years of history. The city has two parts separated by a narrow man-made strip of land. The older section, located on a peninsula that was once an island, shows signs of many different civilizations that lived there over time. The newer part, on the mainland, includes hotels and modern buildings.

Nesebar is one of the most important tourist destinations and seaports on the Black Sea. It is part of a region with several large resorts, including Sunny Beach, which is directly north of Nesebar.

Throughout history, Nesebar has often been on the border of empires that faced threats. Because of its many historic buildings, UNESCO added Nesebar to its list of World Heritage Sites in 1983.

As of December 2019, the town had a population of 13,600 people.

Name

The settlement was called Mesembria in Greek (Greek: Μεσημβρία). It was sometimes spelled as Mesambria or Melsembria, with the latter name meaning "the city of Melsas." Some experts suggest the name may come from the Thracian language, such as Melsambria. However, this Thracian origin is not certain. The story about Melsas founding the city is also not strongly supported and is part of a group of legends about the origins of Greek city names. It is likely that the tale of Melsas was created later during the Hellenistic period, when Mesembria was an important coastal city.

Before 1934, the town was commonly known in Bulgarian as Месемврия (Mesemvriya). This name was later changed to the current one, which was previously used in the Erkech dialect near Nesebar. Both names are based on the Greek name Mesembria.

History

Bulgarian archaeologist Lyuba Ognenova-Marinova led six underwater archaeological expeditions for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) between 1961 and 1972 along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Her research identified five major periods of urban development on the peninsula near Nesebar, from the end of the second millennium B.C. These periods included a Thracian settlement, the Greek colony Mesambria, a Roman-ruled village, an Early Christian settlement, a Medieval town, and a Renaissance-era town known as Mesembria or Nessebar.

In the 1980s, engineering projects were carried out along the peninsula’s coastline. These efforts aimed to protect the area’s historic sites and strengthen its role as a port.

Originally a Thracian settlement called Mesembria, the town became a Greek colony in the early 6th century B.C. when settled by the Dorian people from Megara. It became a major trading center and a rival of Apollonia (Sozopol). Unlike other Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast, which were typically Ionian, Mesembria remained the only Dorian colony. In 425–424 B.C., the town joined the Delian League, led by Athens.

Most remains from the Hellenistic period include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, and an agora. A wall from the Thracian fortifications can still be seen on the peninsula’s northern side.

Coins made of bronze and silver were produced in Mesembria since the 5th century B.C., and gold coins were made there starting in the 3rd century B.C. The town came under Roman rule in 71 B.C. but kept the right to mint its own coins.

From the 5th century A.D. onward, Mesembria was an important stronghold of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was fought over by the Byzantines and Bulgars. The town was captured by the First Bulgarian Empire in 812 A.D. after a two-week siege by Khan Krum but was later returned to the Byzantines in 864 A.D. by Knyaz Boris I. It was reconquered by his son, Tsar Simeon the Great. During the Second Bulgarian Empire, the town was again contested by Bulgarian and Byzantine forces. It thrived under Bulgarian ruler Ivan Alexander (1331–1371) until it was captured by Crusaders led by Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy, in 1366. The Bulgarian name for the town, Nesebar or Mesebar, has been used since the 11th century.

Medieval monuments in the area include the 5th–6th century Stara Mitropoliya (Old Bishopric), also known as St. Sophia, a basilica without a transept; the 6th century church of the Virgin; and the 11th century Nova Mitropoliya (New Bishopric), also called St. Stephen. This church was continuously decorated until the 18th century. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, several churches were built, including those dedicated to St. Theodore, St. Paraskeva, St. Michael and St. Gabriel, and St. John Aliturgetos.

The city was captured by the Ottomans during the Bulgarian-Ottoman wars but was later returned to the Byzantine Empire under the 1403 Treaty of Gallipoli. The Ottoman Empire’s capture of the town in 1453 began its decline, though its architectural heritage remained. In the 19th century, the area was enriched by the construction of wooden houses typical of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. In the early 19th century, many locals joined the Greek patriotic group Filiki Eteria, and some participated in the Greek War of Independence (1821) under Alexandros Ypsilantis.

Before 1878, Nesebar (Misivri) was the center of a kaza in the İslimye sanjak of Edirne Province. After Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1879, Nesebar became part of the autonomous Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the Burgaz department until it was united with the Principality of Bulgaria in 1885. In the late 19th century, Nesebar was a small town with Greek fishermen and vinegrowers. In 1900, the town had a population of about 1,900, mostly Greeks, but it remained sparsely populated. It developed into a major Bulgarian seaside resort in the early 20th century. After 1925, a new part of the town was built, and the historic Old Town was restored.

Churches

Nesebar is sometimes called the town with the most churches per person. Today, forty churches remain in or near the town, either fully or partially intact. Some of the most well-known include:

• the Church of St Sophia or the Old Bishopric (Stara Mitropoliya) (5th–6th century)
• the Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa (6th century)
• the Church of John the Baptist (11th century)
• the Church of St Stephen or the New Bishopric (Nova Mitropoliya) (11th century; rebuilt in the 16th–18th century)
• the Church of St Theodore (13th century)
• the Church of St Paraskevi (13th–14th century)
• the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel (13th–14th century)
• the Church of Christ Pantocrator (13th–14th century)
• the Church of St John Aliturgetos (14th century)
• the Church of St Spas (17th century)
• the Church of St Clement (17th century)
• the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin (19th century)

Regardless of whether they were built during the Byzantine, Bulgarian, or Ottoman periods, the churches of Nesebar show the diverse architecture of the Eastern Orthodox world and demonstrate how church designs evolved over time from early Christian basilicas to medieval cross-domed churches.

Sports

The local football team, PFC Nesebar, plays in the Second Professional Football League. The stadium has a seating capacity for 6,000 people, the field measures 100 meters by 50 meters, and there are additional fields available for renting or practicing.

During the summer season, there are many opportunities to play tennis in the area. The two main tennis clubs, TC Egalite and Tennis Academy Nesebar, offer both outdoor and indoor courts for use.

Gallery

• Church of Christ Pantokrator
• Church of St. Stephen
• Church of St. John the Baptist
• A wooden windmill located near the town entrance
• Examples of typical revival houses in the old town area
• Church of St. Sophia
• The central area of Nessebar
• A panoramic view of Nesebar
• The newer section of Nesebar
• A statue depicting a fisherman, also known as St. Nicholas, also referred to as the new Noah