4
A rocky piece of land, as if thrown into the sea, yet it is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Asylum and security - this is probably what the ancient Thracians saw when they founded their city of Mesembria here more than three millennia ago.
The Mesembria of the ancient Greeks surrounded the city with a massive fortress wall. Mesembria of the ancient Romans created the water pipe system and erected basilicas and named one of them Saint Sophia similar to the one in Constantinople. Nessebar of the Bulgarians, first included in the borders of the Bulgarian state in 812, built and painted the churches of Saint Stephan and St. John the Baptist, which became a prototype of the masterpiece Bulgarian churches of the 13th and 14 centuries.
You can learn more about the ancient settlement called by Bulgarian and foreign researchers called the place "the Bulgarian Ravenna" because of its numerous and well-preserved churches, in this week’s Editor’s picks from Radio Bulgaria’s collection – “Nessebar - the ancient town inside the sea”.
Written by Diana Tsankova
Photos: Veneta Nikolova, BGNES and archive
On September 13 and 14 th the Orthodox Church celebrates the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, which is one of the greatest Christian holidays, celebrated with special solemnity. In Bulgaria it is widely known as..
On September 8, when the Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Nativity of the Holy Theotokos), we take a look at the beautiful valley of Gabrovnitsa River and the Monastery of the Holy Theotokos, better..
Bulgaria is celebrating 145 years of the Shipka Peak epopee - the heroic six-day epic battle in which the native defenders proved that freedom is not a gift, but was won with the blood and sacrifice of thousands of Bulgarians. The Balkan peak of Saint..
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Cloudy