Bulgarian archaeologist
Lyuba Ognenova-Marinova led six underwater archaeological expeditions for the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) between 1961 and 1972 in the waters along the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Her work led to the identification of five chronological periods of urbanization on the peninsula surrounding Nesebar through the end of the second millennium B.C., which included the Thracian protopolis, the Greek colony Mesambria, a Roman-ruled village to the
Early Christian Era, the
Medieval settlement and a
Renaissance era town, known as Mesembria or Nessebar.
Antiquity Originally a
Thracian settlement, known as
Mesembria, the town became a
Greek colony when settled by
Dorians from
Megara at the beginning of the 6th century BC, then known as Mesembria. It was an important trading centre from then on and a rival of Apollonia (
Sozopol). It remained the only
Dorian colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical
Ionian colonies. At 425-424 BC the town joined the
Delian League, under the leadership of
Athens. Remains date mostly from the
Hellenistic period and include the
acropolis, a temple of
Apollo and an
agora. A wall which formed part of the Thracian fortifications can still be seen on the north side of the peninsula. Bronze and silver coins were minted in Mesembria since the 5th century BC and gold coins since the 3rd century BC. The town fell under
Roman 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
Eastern Roman Empire from the 5th century AD onwards, and was fought over by
Byzantines and
Bulgars, being captured and incorporated in the lands of the
First Bulgarian Empire in 812 by Khan
Krum after a two-week siege only to be ceded back to Byzantium by
Knyaz Boris I in 864 and reconquered by his son
Tsar Simeon the Great. During the time of the
Second Bulgarian Empire it was also contested by Bulgarian and Byzantine forces and enjoyed particular prosperity under Bulgarian tsar
Ivan Alexander (1331–1371) until it was conquered by
Crusaders led by
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy in 1366. The Bulgarian version of the name,
Nesebar or
Mesebar, has been attested since the 11th century. Monuments from the
Middle Ages include the 5–6th century
Stara Mitropoliya ("old bishopric"; also
St Sophia), a
basilica without a
transept; the 6th century
church of the Virgin; and the 11th century
Nova Mitropoliya ("new bishopric"; also
St Stephen) which continued to be embellished until the 18th century. In the 13th and 14th century a remarkable series of churches were built:
St Theodore,
St Paraskeva,
St Michael St Gabriel, and
St John Aliturgetos. The city was conquered by the Ottomans during the
Bulgarian-Ottoman wars, but was then returned to the Byzantine Empire by the terms of the 1403
Treaty of Gallipoli.
Ottoman rule The capture of the town by the
Ottoman Empire 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 during this period. At the early 19th century many locals joined the Greek patriotic organization,
Filiki Eteria, while at the outbreak of the
Greek War of Independence (1821) part of the town's youth participated in the struggle under
Alexandros Ypsilantis.
Third Bulgarian state After the
Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1879, Nesebar became part of the autonomous Ottoman province of
Eastern Rumelia in
Burgaz department until it
united with the
Principality of Bulgaria in 1885. Around the end of the 19th century Nesebar was a small town of
Greek fishermen and vinegrowers. In 1900 it had a population of approximately 1.900, but it remained a relatively empty town. 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==