Nesebar
Encyclopedia
Nesebar is an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...

, located in Burgas Province
Burgas Province
-Municipalities:The Burgas province contains 13 municipalities . The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village , and the population of each as of 2009.-Demography:The Burgas province had a population of 423,608 -Municipalities:The Burgas...

. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality
Nesebar municipality
Nesebar municipality is a Bulgarian municipality comprising the northern part of the Black Sea coast of Burgas Province, Bulgaria. Its northern border is with the municipalities of Byala and Dolni Chiflik, its western border — with the municipality of Pomorie, and its eastern border is the Black Sea...

. Often referred to as the "Pearl of the Black Sea" and "Bulgaria's Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

", Nesebar is a rich city-museum defined by more than three millennia of ever-changing history.

It is a one of the most prominent tourist destinations and seaports on the Black Sea, in what has become a popular area with several large resorts—the largest, Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach is a major seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located approximately 35 km north of Burgas in Nessebar municipality, Burgas Province. It is the biggest and most popular holiday resort in Bulgaria, and is home to over 800 hotels with more than 300 000 beds. There are...

, is situated immediately to the north of Nesebar.

Nesebar has on several occasions found itself on the frontier of a threatened empire, and as such it is a town with a rich history. The ancient part of the town is situated on a peninsula (previously an island) connected to the mainland by a narrow man-made isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...

, and it bears evidence of occupation by a variety of different civilisations over the course of its existence. Its abundance of historic buildings prompted UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 to include Nesebar in its list of World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

s in 1983.

As of December 2009, the town has a population of 11,626 inhabitants. It lies at 42°39′N 27°44′E.

Name

Inhabited in the Antiquity by the Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...

 and the Ancient Greeks, the original Thracian settlement Menebria was called Mesembria by the Ancient Greeks. Under this name it was still known in the Middle Ages to Bulgarians and Byzantines.

History

Antiquity

Originally a Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...

 settlement known as Menebria, the town became a Greek colony when settled by Dorians from Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...

 at the beginning of the 6th century BC, and was an important trading centre from then on and a rival of Apollonia (Sozopol
Sozopol
Sozopol is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Today it is one of the major seaside resorts in the country, known for the Apollonia art and film festival that is named after one of the town's ancient names.The busiest times of the year...

). It remained the only Doric colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionic
Ionians
The Ionians were one of the four major tribes into which the Classical Greeks considered the population of Hellenes to have been divided...

 colonies. At 425-424 BC the town joined the Delian League
Delian League
The Delian League, founded in circa 477 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, members numbering between 150 to 173, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea at the end of the Greco–Persian Wars...

, under the leadership of Athens
Classical Athens
The city of Athens during the classical period of Ancient Greece was a notable polis of Attica, Greece, leading the Delian League in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and the Peloponnesian League. Athenian democracy was established in 508 BC under Cleisthenes following the tyranny of Hippias...

. Remains from the Hellenistic period include the acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...

, a temple of Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...

, and an agora
Agora
The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states. Early in Greek history , free-born male land-owners who were citizens would gather in the Agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the Agora also served as a marketplace where...

. A wall which formed part of the fortifications can still be seen on the north side of the peninsula. Bronze and silver coins were minted in the city since the 5th century BC and gold coins since the 3rd century BC. The town fell under Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 rule in 71 BC, yet continued to enjoy privileges such as the right to mint its own coinage.

Medieval era

It was one of the most important strongholds of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

 from the 5th century AD onwards, and was fought over by Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

 and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

ns, being captured and incorporated in the lands of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...

 in 812 by Khan Krum after a two week siege only to be ceded back to Byzantium by Knyaz Boris I
Boris I of Bulgaria
Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail and Bogoris was the Knyaz of First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At the time of his baptism in 864, Boris was named Michael after his godfather, Emperor Michael III...

 in 864 and reconquered by his son Tsar Simeon the Great
Simeon I of Bulgaria
Simeon I the Great ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern Europe...

. During the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...

 it was also contested by Bulgarian and Byzantine forces and enjoyed particular prosperity under Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...

 (1331–1371) until it was conquered by Crusaders led by Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI , nicknamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aimone, Count of Savoy and Yolande of Montferrat....

 in 1366. The Bulgarian version of the name, Nesebar or Mesebar, has been attested since the 11th century.

Monuments from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 include the 5–6th century Stara Mitropoliya ("old bishopric"; also St Sophia
Church of St Sophia or the Old Bishopric
The Church of Saint Sofia , also known as the Old Bishopric is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nesebar, eastern Bulgaria. It is situated in the old quarter of the town which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria....

), a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...

 without a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...

; the 10th century church of the Virgin
Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar
The Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar, is a former monastery church situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Nesebar in Bulgaria and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title "Eleusa", or "the Tender"....

; and the 11th century Nova Mitropoliya ("new bishopric"; also St Stephen
Church of St Stephen or the New Bishopric
The Church of St. Stephen is a former Orthodox Church in Nessebar, Eastern Bulgaria, which is now turned into a museum. It is part of architectural and historical reserve in the city, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the 100 national tourist sites...

) which continued to be embellished until the 18th century. In the 13th and 14th century a remarkable series of churches were built: St Theodore
Church of St Theodore, Burgas
The Church of St Theodore in Nesebar, Bulgaria, was built in the 13th century, and the north and western façades survive from this era. The other walls and the roof were built later. It is a single nave church with a narthex and apse. The church is 8.70 m long and wide 4.15 m wide.The façade is...

, St Paraskeva
Church of St Paraskeva
The Church of Saint Paraskevi is a partially preserved medieval Eastern Orthodox church in Nesebar , a town on the Black Sea coast of Burgas Province in eastern Bulgaria. It was most likely built in the 13th or 14th century and forms part of the Ancient Nesebar UNESCO World Heritage Site...

, St Michael St Gabriel
Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel
The Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel is a partially preserved medieval Eastern Orthodox church in the eastern Bulgarian town of Nesebar , on the Black Sea coast of Burgas Province. It was built in the 13th or 14th century and forms part of the Ancient Nesebar UNESCO World Heritage...

, and St John Aliturgetos
Church of St John Aliturgetos
The Church of St Ioan Aliturgetos is located in Nesebar, Bulgaria.The church was not consecrated, hence the name - "aliturgetos" is the Greek for "not consecrated". The legend says that one of the builders fell down and got killed. The church canon did not allow a place where a man had been killed...

.

Ottoman rule

The capture of the town by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 in 1453 marked the start of its decline, but its architectural heritage remained and was enriched in the 19th century by the construction of wooden houses in style typical for the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...

 during this period. At the early 19th century many locals joined the Greek patriotic organization Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...

, while at the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...

 (1821) part of the town's youth participated in the struggle under Alexandros Ypsilantis.

Nesebar was a kaza centre in İslimye
Sliven
Sliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....

 sanjak of Edirne Province
Edirne Province
Edirne Province is the westernmost province of Turkey, located in Eastern Thrace along the Greek and Bulgarian border. The city's wealth, population and importance increased after it was declared as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire...

 before 1878.

Third Bulgarian state

After the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...

 from Ottoman rule in 1878, Nesebar became part of the autonomous Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia as a kaza centre in Burgaz
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...

 sanjak until it united
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...

 with the Principality of Bulgaria in 1885.
Around the end of the 19th century Nesebar was a small town of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 fishermen and vinegrowers. In the early 20th century, the total population increased to 1,870. It developed as a key Bulgarian seaside resort since the beginning of the 20th century. After 1925 a new town part was built and the historic Old Town was restored.

Churches

Nesebar is sometimes said to be the town with the highest number of churches per capita.http://www.villabeneia.com/Site/okolnostite.htm, http://bg.zonebulgaria.com/cherno_more/nesebar/istoria/ Today, a total of forty churches survive, wholly or partly, in the vicinity of the town. Some of the most famous include:
  • the Church of St Sophia or the Old Bishopric
    Church of St Sophia or the Old Bishopric
    The Church of Saint Sofia , also known as the Old Bishopric is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nesebar, eastern Bulgaria. It is situated in the old quarter of the town which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria....

     (Stara Mitropoliya) (5th–6th century)
  • the Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa
    Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar
    The Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar, is a former monastery church situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Nesebar in Bulgaria and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title "Eleusa", or "the Tender"....

     (6th century)
  • the Church of John the Baptist
    Church of John the Baptist
    The Church of St. John the Baptist is a cruciform church located in Nessebar, Bulgaria.-Description:The Church of St. John the Baptist is a domed cruciform church, built of undressed stone. It is one of the best preserved churchs in Nessebar. It is 12 meters long and 10 wide...

     (11th century)
  • the Church of St Stephen or the New Bishopric
    Church of St Stephen or the New Bishopric
    The Church of St. Stephen is a former Orthodox Church in Nessebar, Eastern Bulgaria, which is now turned into a museum. It is part of architectural and historical reserve in the city, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the 100 national tourist sites...

     (Nova Mitropoliya) (11th century; reconstructed 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
    Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel
    The Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel is a partially preserved medieval Eastern Orthodox church in the eastern Bulgarian town of Nesebar , on the Black Sea coast of Burgas Province. It was built in the 13th or 14th century and forms part of the Ancient Nesebar UNESCO World Heritage...

     (13th–14th century)
  • the Church of Christ Pantocrator (13th–14th century)
  • the Church of St John Aliturgetos
    Church of St John Aliturgetos
    The Church of St Ioan Aliturgetos is located in Nesebar, Bulgaria.The church was not consecrated, hence the name - "aliturgetos" is the Greek for "not consecrated". The legend says that one of the builders fell down and got killed. The church canon did not allow a place where a man had been killed...

     (14th century)
  • the Church of St Spas
    Church of St Spas
    The Church of the Holy Saviour or Sveti Spas in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Nesebar, Bulgaria, is a 17th century church building of 1609, 11.70 m long and 5.70 m wide, consisting of a single nave and apse....

     (17th century)
  • the Church of St Clement (17th century)


Whether built during the Byzantine, Bulgarian or Ottoman rule of the city, the churches of Nesebar represent the rich architectural heritage of the Eastern Orthodox world and illustrate the gradual development from Early Christian basilicas to medieval cross-domed churches.

Honour

Nesebar Gap
Nesebar Gap
Nesebar Gap is a 1.3 km wide gap in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica bounded to the west by Pliska Ridge and to the east by the northern slope of Mount Friesland, Tangra Mountains...

 on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...

, Antarctica is named after Nesebar.

External links

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