Nesebur (Несебър) / Mesambria

The ancient city of Mesambria, Nesebur (map) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 because of its old town with its array of churches - I counted eleven predating the seventeenth century, though I may have missed a few.

Detail of the Church of Christ Pantocrator

The old town is connected to the new town and the mainland by a man-made isthmus, and entering it still requires passing through the ancient and mediaeval fortifications.

The entrance to the old town

Now a significant tourist resort, it was very, very quiet even in April, with over half of the shops still shut. This did, though, mean I had the museum and town to myself, which was pleasant!

Old Town Street

Besides an excellent display of gold jewellery found in local tombs, one of the more unusual exhibits in the museum was a Syrinx dating to the fourth century BC.

Hellenistic Jewellery from the Necropolis

4th c BC Syrinx