Twenty kilometers from Burgas a narrow isthmus (causeway) connects the old town of Nessebar with the mainland onto which it has extended recently. Nessebar has existed for more than 9,000 years and its quaint atmosphere is mainly due to its picturesque situation on a peninsula, to the costal 19th century architecture and to its unique collection of medieval churches. As the town was designed a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sight in 1983 even the newly built constructions have been carefully planned to match the well-preserved older houses on both sides of narrow cobbled streets.
It emerged as a fortified Thracian settlement; afterwards it was a Greek polis, then a Roman colony, a Byzantine and Bulgarian port. Nowadays there are more than 100 preserved houses from the National Revival period showing the building traditions in our lands. But still the most astonishing thing about that small secluded town is its great amount of over 40 churches. Today only 7 of them can be visited and the rest exist as mere remains and legends. It is believed that these churches have been built as a redemption sign by the young aristocracy exiled to the peninsular because of fault love. Legends are told about the way correspondence is being made between lovers through the help of monks, peasants and bishops. Ghosts are believed to have been seen at the isthmus still waiting for their loved ones to come and take them away. And in the middle of that legendary scene there are the churches:
The Church of St. John Aliturgetos which was not consecrated (the name Aliturgetos is the Greek for ‘not consecrated’). The legend says that one of the builders fell down and killed himself. The church canon did not allow a place where a man has been killed to be used for worship but records show that services were frequently held in it.
The Church of St. John the Baptist is a beautifully painted temple full of works dating from 16th and 17th century. One of the pictures on the facade depicts St. Marina pulling a devil from the sea before braining it with a hammer - possibly representing local merchants’ hope that their patron would deal with the Cossack pirates who raided Nessebar during the middle-seventeen century.
The Church of the Blessed Savior is a classical example of church architecture during the Ottoman rule in Bulgaria. The Turks imposed strict rules on church-building and temples were not allowed to be tall or have any belfries as bell-ringing was forbidden. This church is half-dug into the ground and with very simple interior and exterior.
The Church of Christ the Pantocretor is situated in the very centre of Nessebar and is significant for its elaborate exterior decoration - different on every façade, rich in apses, niches, plastic and colorful decorations.
The Old Bishopric (The Old Metropolitan Church) is a well preserved monument of the early Byzantine church building in Bulgaria. It is probably the oldest and most mysterious building in the town. It was originally built as a Hellenic basilica and later turned into a typical Orthodox church keeping a lot of its previous charm.
Together with the Church of St. Stefan, the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Church of St. Paraskeva, the Church of the Virgin and many more, these form a colorful journey through forgotten times and morals for visitors to enjoy.
