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In 1983, UNESCO declared Nessebar
a Monument of Culture. Three thousand years
of history are embedded in every stone of this tiny
village jutting into the sea. Archaeologists continue
to uncover the traces of others that, in centuries past,
walked its narrow streets. In the Middle Ages it was
known as The Town of Churches for its more than 80 churches
and chapels, many of which survive to the present day.
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Nessebar also evokes the typical Bulgarian Renaissance style in architecture and construction, characterized by carved
wooden ceilings, bay windows, whitewashed walls and romantic little yards with high wooden gates. Many of the houses date
from the 13th to the 19th centuries. One can also see the remains of an ancient fortress and 40 medieval churches, of which
fourteen are well preserved, and three have restored windmills.
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The Archaeological Museum with
its Hall of Icons is the place to learn more
about the history of Nessebar. The museum has Thracian
stone anchors, stele, ancient Greek black ceramics of
the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, marble architectural
elements of all epochs and a rich collection of icons.
The Ethnographic Museum is in the 160-year
old house of the Moskoyany family. Traditional local
costumes and jewelry are displayed on the second floor.
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The
Saint Stefan Church is known as the New Bishopric.
It was built in the 11th Century and it is famous for its
unique wall paintings dating back to the 16th Century.
The Saint Saviour Church (Sveti Spas) was
erected in the 17th Century when all of Bulgaria was under
Turkish rule. The Turks insisted that Eastern Orthodox shrines
and churches had to be dug into the ground and with a very
simplified architectural design. Wall paintings in this church
date from the 16th Century.
The Christ Pantocrator Church was erected
during the 13th and 14th centuries. It can be found in the
centre of the old town. Its impressive and unique architectural
design is testimony to high artistic principles. Each facade
has a different decoration. The richest decoration is in the
eastern facade.
John the Baptist Church dates from the 10th
to 11th centuries. It is one of the best-preserved churches
from that period. The frescoes have survived the ravages of
time and are thought to be from the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries.
The Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, Church
was built between the 13th and 14th centuries. The facades
of this basilica are decorated with brick ornaments, arranged
in a checkered design.
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