About Sozopol

Sozopol is the most ancient town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The town was founded in the 7-th century B.C. by Greek coloniser from Miletus. The town was called Apolonia after its majestic temple, dedicated to Apollo. The place declined and it was not mentioned again until the 4-th century A.D. , under its present name Sozopol (town of salvation). In the Middle Ages the town regained something from it's past glory. In the 9-th century the town was seized by the Bulgarians for the first time and later it changed hands several times. In the 13-th and 14-th centuries it was a flourishing Bulgarian town but in 1353 year it was captured and plundered by the Genoese. One hudred years later it fell to the Turkies and was occupied by them for 5 centuries. During the Crimean War the British and French fleets used Sozopol as a base. When Sozopol was liberated from the Turkes in 1878 it was an impoverished settlement.

Today Sozopol consisits of two parts. The old part occupies the peninsula and it is best loved by artists who have immortalised its beauty on many canvases. Sozopol is quickly developing as a tourist centre. The new part of the town, conveniently near the beaches contanes many restaurants and other facilities for the numerous holidaymakers.