Situated
north of Bourgas and south of the Stara Mountain, Nessebar is a Black
Sea coastal resort with a rich history dating back some 3000 years.
The old part of the city is located on a small piece of terrain
linked to the mainland by a narrow neck of land. The new part of the
city is situated on the coastline and has grown significantly over
recent years creating invisible borders between Nessebar and the
surrounding cities and resorts.
Established
towards the end of the Bronze Age by the ancient Thracians, Nessebar
was originally named Melsambria
- the city of Melsas, after its creator. During
this time, the city was home to two harbours, and today you can still
find remnants of the ancient ships which used to frequent these
harbours. Greek settlers inhabited the city around 6BC and soon after
changed the pronunciation of the city's name to Mesembria.
Gradually the city flourished and became an important trading city
and a rival to Apollonia (Sozopol). At around 425-424BC the town joined the
Delian League, under the leadership of Athens. Remains from this
period include the Acropolis, a temple of Apollo and an Agora. 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
city fell under Roman rule in 71BC, but kept its position as an
important trade and cultural centre and evidence of this can be seen
today as preserved marble reliefs, statues and inscriptions, as well
as the pedestal of the bronze statue of the emperor Klavdii show.
When the Roman Empire chose Constantinopol as the new capital city
and Christianity as the official religion of the empire, the close
proximity of Messembria to the new capital worked in favour of the
city’s development and the construction of many churches and
basilicas began, some of which were identical to those in the capital
city. The city was invaded by the Bulgarians in 812 and the name of the
city was changed to Nessebar.
During
the Ottoman and Bulgarian periods of rule, many more churches and
monasteries were built and history investigators consider that over
40 churches existed in Nessebar, of which only 26 of them have been
found as of today. Nessebar remained a small quiet town until the end
of the 19th century, with many of its residents being fishermen and
farmers. Nessebar sprung to life as a tourist destination in 1959,
when the nearby resort of Sunny Beach was established. Today,
Nessebar has become one of the most visited tourist destinations on
Bulgarian Black Sea.
The
beach coastal line of Nessebar is approximately 4km long. The
remnants of fortresses’ walls and many ancient buildings attract
thousands of tourists from around the world and many fascinated
history investigators and archaeologists. Several museums including
the Archaeological and Ethnographical museum and also the church
museums of St. Spas and St.
Stefan can be found today in Nessebar with rich archaeological
and ethnographic collections gathered from different periods of time.
Nessebar is a favourite to many Bulgarian people who gather during
the summer months along with the foreign tourists, attracted by the
romantic combination of the sea, sun and antique remains.
A
number of quality hotels and apartments offer visitors to Nessebar a
wide choice of accommodation opportunities along with many
restaurants serving a delicious mix of fresh food and excellent
service. One thing for sure is this piece of paradise, where modern
holiday demands are met while cultural traditions continue, there is
a place for anyone, regardless of the budget available for a summer
holiday. The close proximity to Sunny Beach provides much
entertainment and all night fun.
Book
your summer holiday to Nessebar today by visiting our Holidays to Nessebar page.
