There is a ferry across Burgas Bay from Sozopol to Nessebar, known in Roman times as Messambria Pontica in Orbis Romana. The history of the town is similar to that of Appolonia: Thracian, then Greek circa 500 B.C.E., Roman from 71/72 C.E., Byzantine, Ottoman, Bulgarian. Here in Nessebar, there is a section of the city's defensive walls where you can see each of the eras in the different construction techniques lying on top of each other, although the Greek walls were good enough to serve the Romans well.
Thete is a Roman amphitheatre site that is still used today, although much of the original theatre has been built over. To the northeast of the penninsula, the remnants of the Roman walls have been submerged by rising sea levels. The northeast wind and resulting waves prevented our seeing the walls, but the breaking wave pattern clearly revealed where they were (1).
The Archeological museum in the town was a good take. There was a large collection of pottery figurines, statuary, friezes, and stelli found in the area. We visited a few Byzantine- era churches before taking the bus back to Burgas.
(1) We had enquired earlier at a scuba center about snorkeling to see the walls. The dive master told us there is not much to see as the sea has knocked the walls apart pretty well (a).
(a) If the weather had been calmer, we may have swum out for a look, but the wind was blowing enough to dissuade us today.
Frieze of the city council, 2nd century B.C.E.
A fresco we saw at Boyana Church a few days later explains why many statues from antiquity were decapitated. The fresco depicts St Nicholas blessing the demolition of a pagan idol (Stock photo, pictures are not allowed in the church)
Leaving Sozopol by ferry boat
Site of the Roman amphitheatre
Example of wall construction techniques chronologically from bottom to top: Thracian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman
Main city gate facing the causeway
Breaking wave signalling where the submerged walls are.
At the Archeological Museum:
Small figurine, 4th century B.C.E.
"Messambria" still readable more than 2000 years later
Detail from Stelli, 2nd century C.E
Roman era statue
Sveta Sofia Basilica
Remnants of Basilica from Roman era
Byzantine Churches
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Roman carved marble reused as step into St. Stephen's Church
Fresco in St. Stephen's Church
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