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Nesebar (often transcribed as Nessebar and sometimes as Nesebur, , pronounced ) is an ancient
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and one of the major seaside resorts on the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast (), also known as the Bulgarian Riviera, 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 ...
, located in
Burgas Province Burgas (, formerly the Burgas okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The province is named after its administrative and industrial centre, the city of Burgas, the fourth biggest town in the countr ...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality. Often referred to as the "''Pearl of the Black Sea''", Nesebar is a rich city-museum defined by more than three millennia of ever-changing history. The small city exists in two parts separated by a narrow human-made
isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...
with the ancient part of the settlement on the peninsula (previously an island), and the more modern section (i.e., hotels and later development) on the mainland side. The older part bears evidence of occupation by a variety of different civilisations over the course of its existence. It is 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, 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. Due to the city's abundance of historic buildings,
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
came to include Nesebar in its list of
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
s in 1983. As of December 2019, the town has a population of 13,600 inhabitants.


Name

The settlement was known in Greek as ''Mesembria'' (), sometimes mentioned as ''Mesambria'' or ''Melsembria'', the latter meaning the city of Melsas. According to a reconstruction the name might derive from Thracian ''Melsambria''. Nevertheless, the Thracian origin of that name seems to be doubtful. Moreover, the tradition pertaining to Melsas, as founder of the city is tenuous and belongs to a cycle of etymological legends abundant among Greek cities. It also appears that the story of Melsas was a latter reconstruction of the Hellenistic era, when Mesembria was an important coastal city. Before 1934, the common Bulgarian name for the town was Месемврия, ''Mesemvriya''. It was replaced with the current name, which was previously used in the Erkech dialect spoken close to Nesebar. Both forms are derived from the Greek Mesembria.


History

Bulgarian archaeologist Lyuba Ognenova-Marinova led six underwater archaeological expeditions for the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (abbreviated BAS; , ''Bŭlgarska akademiya na naukite'', abbreviated БАН) is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy, with headquarters in Sofia, is autonomous and consists of a S ...
(BAS) between 1961 and 1972 in the waters along the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast (), also known as the Bulgarian Riviera, 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 ...
. 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 In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
settlement and a
Renaissance era The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
town, known as Mesembria or Nessebar. Engineering around the peninsula coastline was undertaken in 1980s both to preserve the coastline (and its historic significance) and to consolidate the area as a port.


Antiquity

Originally a
Thracian The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...
settlement, known as ''Mesembria'', the town became a Greek colony when settled by
Dorians The Dorians (; , , singular , ) were one of the four major ethnic groups into which the Greeks, Hellenes (or Greeks) of Classical Greece divided themselves (along with the Aeolians, Achaeans (tribe), Achaeans, and Ionians). They are almost alw ...
from
Megara Megara (; , ) is a historic town and a municipality in West Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis Island, Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken ...
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 Sozopol ( ; ) List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. One of the major seaside resorts in the country, it is known for the ''Apollonia'' art and film ...
). 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 The Delian League was a confederacy of Polis, Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, founded in 478 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Classical Athens, Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Achaemenid Empire, Persian ...
, under the leadership of
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. Remains date mostly from the
Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...
period and include the
acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...
, a temple of
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
and an
agora The agora (; , romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Ancient Greece, Greek polis, city-states. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center ...
. 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 The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
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 The First Bulgarian Empire (; was a medieval state that existed in Southeastern Europe between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. It was founded in 680–681 after part of the Bulgars, led by Asparuh of Bulgaria, Asparuh, moved south to the northe ...
in 812 by Khan
Krum Krum (, ), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome () was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper a ...
after a two-week siege only to be ceded back to Byzantium by
Knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
Boris I in 864 and reconquered by his son
Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
Simeon the Great. During the time of the
Second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...
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
Crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
rs 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 In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
include the 5–6th century ''Stara Mitropoliya'' ("old bishopric"; also St Sophia), a
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
without a
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
; 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 The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
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 The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast (), also known as the Bulgarian Riviera, 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 ...
during this period. At the early 19th century many locals joined the Greek patriotic organization,
Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria () or Society of Friends () was a secret political and revolutionary organization founded in 1814 in Odesa, Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule in Ottoman Greece, Greece and establish an Independenc ...
, while at the outbreak of the
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
(1821) part of the town's youth participated in the struggle under Alexandros Ypsilantis. Nesebar (Misivri) was a kaza centre in İslimye sanjak of
Edirne Province Edirne Province () is a Turkish province located in East Thrace. Part of European Turkey, it is one of only three provinces located entirely within continental Europe. Its area is 6,145 km2, and its population is 414,714 (2022). Edirne Province ...
before 1878.


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 The Principality of Bulgaria () was a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It was established by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. After the Russo-Turkish War ended with a Russian victory, the Treaty of San Stefano was signed ...
in 1885. Around the end of the 19th century Nesebar was a small town of
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
fishermen and vinegrowers. In 1900 it had a population of approximately 1.900, of which 89% were Greeks, 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

Nesebar is sometimes said to be the town with the highest number of churches per capita.
/sup> 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 (''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; 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 (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 Assumption of the Holy Virgin (19th 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.


Sports

; Football The local team of PFC Nesebar participates in the Second Professional Football League. The stadium capacity is 6000 spectators, field dimensions are 100/50 m and some complementary fields are available for rent or practicing. ; Tennis There are many possibiltes to play tennis in the area during the summer season. The two main clubs with outdoor and indoor courts are TC Egalite and Tennis academy Nesebar.


Namesakes

Nesebar Gap on
Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands north of the ...
in the
South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...
,
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
is named after Nesebar.


Gallery

File:Church of Christ Pantocrator, Nesebar (by Pudelek).JPG, Church of Christ Pantokrator File:St Stephen church - Nesebar.jpg, Church of St. Stephen File:Church of Saint John the Baptist Nesebar.jpg, Church of St. John the Baptist File:Nessebar, Bulgaria - panoramio (69).jpg, The wooden windmill before the town entrance File:8230 Nessebar, Bulgaria - panoramio (11).jpg, Typical revival houses in the old town File:Church of Saint Sophia in Nesebar 10.JPG, Church of St. Sophia File:Nessebar city.jpg, Nessebar center File:Panorama Nesebar.jpg, Panorama of Nesebar File:Big beach hotels New town Nessebar southside.jpg, New town Nesebar File:Nessebar - panoramio (27).jpg, Statue of the fisherman/St. Nicholas/the new Noah


See also

*
Sozopol Sozopol ( ; ) List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. One of the major seaside resorts in the country, it is known for the ''Apollonia'' art and film ...
, rival city state during antiquity *
Norilsk Norilsk ( rus, Нори́льск, p=nɐˈrʲilʲsk) is a closed city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located south of the western Taymyr Peninsula, around 90 km east of the Yenisei, Yenisey River and 1,500 km north of Krasnoyarsk. Norilsk is 300 ...
, Twin City of Nesebar


References


Evaluation
of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, June 1983 (
PDF Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...
file)


External links


Gallery of pictures from Nesebar

Folklore Ensemble Slanchev Bryag – Nessebar

Ancient Nesebar

Portal of Nessebar
{{Authority control Populated places in Burgas Province Populated coastal places in Bulgaria World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria Archaeological sites in Bulgaria Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast History of Burgas Province