I didn’t know this before I arrived, but cute little Nessebar is home to over 40 churches! There are more churches per capita here than any where else in the world! And they are beautiful and unique. Here are 5 churches of Old Nessebar that I think warrant a closer look.
Christ Pantocrator Church
Built in the first half of the 14th century, Christ Pantocrator Church is one of the first you will see when entering the town of Old Nessebar. Compared to some of its neighbours, it is amazingly intact and one of the largest. The city keeps beautiful manicured gardens just in front, which make for colourful pictures at this site.
This medieval Eastern Orthodox church is ornately decorated and absolutely stunning to look at. Inside is now an art gallery full of the works from Bulgarian artists.
Church Dormition of Theotokos
One of the only churches actually practising, this beauty was built in 1873. There is a lot of folk lore surrounding this Bulgarian Orthodox church, as it contains an icon called the “Black Mary”. Local people of Nessebar believe that the Black Mary will chase away evil spirits and make their days brighter.
Inside is absolutely packed to the gills with gold ornamentation, huge chandeliers, fresco-ed walls and ceilings and a very large shop to purchase religious memorabilia.
Outside is a quaint and charming courtyard, where one can sit on a bench to escape the scorching heat that is Nessebar in the summer months.
St Paraskeva Church
I really like this church because you can get up and close to the ceramic detailing that adorns just about all of these medieval churches. These glazed blue and green cups and flowers are absolutely gorgeous with the red brick and warm stone.
St Paraskeva was constructed in the 13th century and used up until the 19th century. The domed roof is gone, which explains the wooden structure there now.
St John Alitourgetos
Named such, because legend has it that it was never consecrated. Built in the 14th century, it is another fine example of the Easter Orthodox churches of its time. Unfortunately, it suffered a tremendous amount of damage in the early 20th century from a fire, and then again from an earthquake in 1913.
I loved the placement of this church. It sits right at a precipice close to the waters edge and the views of the Black Sea and beach below are breathtaking. Walking around all sides, it is beautifully decorated and at one end is a small park like area to sit and take a breather.
Church of Saint Sophia
Probably the most photographed church and certainly the largest in Old Nessy is the Church of Saint Sophia. This large basilica was initially constructed in the 5th & 6th century and reconstructed again in the 9th century. It is this latest rendition that we see today.
Sitting in the centre of the old town, it takes a prominent role in the centre of a large square. Surrounding it today are delicious eateries and restaurants and the entire feeling of the square is of ancient beauty.
Seeing these old medieval Eastern Orthodox churches was my first experience with this type and decoration of church. I find them incredibly beautiful, full of intricate design and old-world charm. For me, these give Old Nessebar a unique feeling and one that I will remember forever.
Note: I have used the spellings that are on the placards of the churches themselves. If you are using google maps or the internet to find these churches, they may and very likely will be spelled slightly differently.
