FROM BLACK TO AEGEAN SEA – THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE CENTURIES Sunny Beach - Nesebar - Pomorie - Burgas - Malko Tarnovo - Edirne - Erikli - Burgas 5 days - 4 nights 1 day 8.30 a.m. Departure from Sunny Beach 9.00 a.m. Arrival in Nesebar – walk, free time The architectural and historical reserve Nesebar is located in the old town and is a peninsula about 850 m long and 350 m wide. The old town was declared an architectural and historical reserve of national importance by Ordinance No. 243 of the Council of Ministers of 18 July 1956. In 1983 UNESCO included it in the list of world heritage monuments. Nesebar is one of the most ancient cities of Europe, founded 3200 years ago. In Antiquity the town was called Mesambria, during the Middle Ages Mesemvria and later Nesebar. Numerous archaeological finds evidence the centuries-old history of the old Nesebar. A big part of them can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Nesebar, which is located at the beginning of the peninsula. The existence of the town during Thracian times, the time of the Roman and Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian State is traced in separate halls of the museum. Throughout its existence the town has always been surrounded by fortress walls, the remains of which are preserved until day. The first fortress walls were built by the Thracians in VIII century BC, then in V century BC the Greek colonizers built fortifications too. After the Romans conquered Mesemvria, they used the fortified walls too. The period during which Mesemvria was under the rule of the Byzantine Empire was a time of active construction activity (V century AD). The fortress wall around the town gate is best preserved from this period. During the early Byzantine era a fortress wall was built on the southwestern coast too, which has been preserved until today. After the Roman Empire moved his capital in Constantinople and the Christian religion became official, many Christian churches started being built in Mesemvria. The church of St. Stefan or the New bishopric is from the period XI-XIII C. By design the church is a three-nave basilica, built of stone blocks and bricks. It was painted in 1599 and more than 1000 figures in 258 compositions are depicted in it. An original by style, painted iconostasis from the end of XVI C and a carved bishop’s throne and pulpit from the end of XVIII C have been preserved in the church. The church is not operational and has been turned into a museum. It was declared an architectural and construction monument in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. It is located near the amphitheatre of Nessebar. The unfinished church St John Aliturgetus from 14 C is near it. The temple was seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1913 and today it is a site for free access. In 1964 it received the status of an architectural and construction cultural monument of national importance. One of the best-preserved temples from the Middle Ages - the church Christ Pantocrator is situated in the centre of the old town of Nesebar. The temple was built during XIII-XIV C and has a rectangular shape. It was declared an architectural and construction cultural monument of national importance in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. Another church, museum site, is the temple "St. Spass". This church was built in 1609 with funds from a rich citizen of Nesebar. It was painted in XVII C and the gravestone of the Byzantine princess Mataisa Cantacuzina Paleologina, which is now on display in the archaeological museum in the town, was preserved in the floor for many years. The temple was declared an architectural and construction cultural monument of national importance in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. While walking in Nesebar tourists can see remains of early Byzantine thermae (baths) too. The bathrooms were built in VI C and by the end of VIII C were used according to their primary purpose, then rebuilt and used for residential and service needs. Another church - St. Paraskeva is located in immediate proximity to them. It was built in XIII-XIV C and has an extremely interesting architecture. It was declared an architectural and construction monument of culture in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. The central church of the former Mesemvria bears the name of St. Sofia, just like in the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople. It is also called the Old Bishopric. The length of the temple is 25.50 m, inside it was coated with mortar and wall-paintings and the entire floor was covered with a mosaic of tiny multicoloured pebbles. The basilica was built at the end of V and the beginning of VI C. It acquired its present-day appearance at the beginning of IX C. It was declared an architectural and construction monument of culture of national importance in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. The church St. Dimitar was discovered in its vicinity during excavations in 1968, from which the pillars, supporting the dome of the temple, are preserved. According to various legends there were about 40 churches in Nesebar and today there are data about 23 of them. Besides the churches, converted into museums, a few other restored temples in good condition can be seen in the old town. St. John the Baptist was built in X C. There is a preserved portrait of a church donor from XIV C in it. It was declared an architectural and construction monument of culture of national importance in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. The temple St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel has a rich external decoration. It was declared an architectural and construction monument of culture in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. The remains of the basilica Virgin Mary Eleusa, built in VI C, are on the northern coast of the peninsula, and according to historical records it was also a part of a monastery complex. Today, the church has been restored and partially preserved. It was declared an architectural and construction monument of culture in issue 41 of State Gazette of 1964. Besides the Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum of Nesebar is also located in the territory of the peninsula. Its exhibition is located in the traditional Moskoyani house from the period of the Revival. The house is a typical example of the residential architecture of Nesebar, it was built in 1804 and was owned by a wealthy merchant from Nesebar. Objects and belongings from the household and crafts of the residents of Nesebar, as well as traditional local costumes, are exhibited in the museum. 12.00 a.m. Lunch in the town of Nesebar 1.30 p.m. Arrival in Pomorie, looking around, free time It is difficult to establish for now when exactly Pomorie was founded. The remains of an ancient village (3100), found several years ago, were flooded and it's hard to explore them. There is written evidence that in the middle of VI C BC apollonians built the frurion Anchialos on the northern end of Burgas Bay. The exact location of this fortress has not been found so far but the hypothesis that it was situated in the sea, northeast of the present-day town, in an area called gremizma (ruin), prevails. The strategic situation of the peninsula in the centre of the large Burgas Bay determined its further destiny. During the period I C BC - I C AD Anhialo was already the centre of a strategy (area) in the Odrysian Kingdom. The period of the greatest heyday of Pomorie began with the turning of Thrace into a Roman province. One of the ancient cities, largest by territory in our lands, was built in the area called Paleokastro (old castle) under the name Ulpianon Anhialeon. Being a main military and commercial port on the western Black Sea coast, in the words of Amian Mercelin Pomorie was "a great city". Despite the numerous attacks of barbarian tribes, the town managed to retain its foremost position until 740 AD, when as a result of a natural cataclysm it was destroyed and today its remains are located below sea level. Upon its recovery the town was built on terrain, which the old part of the town is located on today too. Throughout the Middle Ages Pomorie retained its position as the main transport, commercial and military centre of Thrace on the Black Sea. This is why the town became "the apple of discord" between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire too. As a result of a number of military operations by land and sea, the most famous of which is the battle at the river Ahelo in august 917, when the army of the Byzantines was destroyed by the troops of Simeon the Great, the town was at one time within the confines of Bulgaria and at another within the confines of the Byzantine Empire. Anhialo is one of the last towns on the Balkan peninsula, conquered by the Turks. The production and trade with grain, wine, fish, timber and other agricultural products, which are of primary importance for the prosperity of the town, were gradually replaced by an unknown until X C livelihood – salt production. In the period XV – XIX C Anhialo was one of the two largest salt - production centres in the Ottoman Empire (the other one was Thessaloniki). Despite the general decline of the Black Sea cities during the Ottoman rule, at the time of the Liberation Anhialo was still the main town of Thrace on the Black Sea.