Murals in St Stephens Church, Nessebar, Bulgaria

 Many of the churches in the old city of Nessebar, Bulgaria, have an entry fee, as they are classed as museums, and all come under the UNESCO World Heritage site. I visited the old city a couple of times, see my blog, before deciding which church to visit.

I chose St Stephens as it seemed to be the best for murals. Entry is €4.60, although you can get cheaper tickets by buying combos for 2 or more sites. 

The entrance foyer -

The church itself is rather small. 

There are murals everywhere. Many are linked to the Virgin's life.

Nessebar World Heritage city, Bulgaria

 Nessebar World Heritage city is located on the Black Sea in Bulgaria. It is north of the city of Burgas. The ancient city is located on a promontory which is reached by a causeway from the modern town of Nessebar. 

The old town is full of ancient monuments and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983. From UNESCO : "Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th century BC, the city became a Greek colony. The city’s remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period."

The old town was actually on an island before the isthmus was built. It is less than 1 km long. The streets are cobbled. Local cars are allowed in, but buses have to stop outside. The first time I went, I just wandered around. Looking at the old town from across the causeway -

The windmill is now a museum -

Walls of the old town -

There are dozens of old buildings and ancient monuments. There are 17 sites on the tourist leaflet. I counted at least 11 churches. Most of those are now classed as museums and along with the actual museum, there is an entry fee. You can pay a ticket for any combination of sites. So on my first visit I just walked around to get an overall feel.

Many buildings have been restored and I found them a bit too "pretty"!

St Stephens

Close up of the construction -

St John the Baptist

Holy archangels Michael & Gabriel

Some wooden houses -

Christ Pantocrator in different lights -

Side and front view of St Sophia Basilica (Old Metropolis) , which has stone columns and large arched windows -

On my next visit I decided to walk around the town along the coast. An old windmill -

This Orthodox church still has services -

Church Dormition of Theotokos

I then did some reading and decided I would visit St Stephen Church - see separate blog.

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