Mesambria Pontica

Old Nessebar is a place where time seems to have stood still. Its cobbled streets, revival houses, and ancient churches tell stories deeply rooted in the city's culture. We begin at the isthmus, where the Mill, a symbol of the city, welcomes us. Today, Nessebar enchants with its unique atmosphere, culture, and distinctive architecture. Old Nessebar is like an open book of history, situated on a small peninsula connected to the modern town by a narrow isthmus. The old town of Nessebar represents only one-third of the ancient city of Mesambria. The remaining two-thirds lie underwater in the Black Sea, preserving valuable artifacts and cultural heritage. The sunken ruins include parts of ancient walls and churches, bearing the rich past of this ancient city. Underwater archaeology in the Nessebar area is an important part of research into the ancient history of the region, safeguarding intact secrets from millennia.

Founded over 3200 years ago as a Thracian settlement, it today represents a unique symbiosis of the modern and the ancient, history and culture.

As an ancient city, Nessebar has not escaped numerous changes in its name. In the 6th century BC, it was known as Mesambria, sometimes referred to as Mesambria Pontica or "Melsambria," which means "city of Melsa." Melsa, a Thracian ruler and the founder of the settlement, is associated with the origin of the old name of Nessebar. In some sources, this ruler's name is Menas, further emphasizing the connection to the city's name. Pontica derives from the way the name for the Black Sea sounded in Greek—Pontus Euxinus—meaning that Mesambria Pontica essentially translates to "the city of Melsa on the Black Sea."

Nessebar developed successfully, boasting two harbors and minting its own coins, protected by majestic fortress walls. Its peak prosperity occurred around the 2nd century BC when the city reached new heights of economic and cultural advancement.