Taste of Greek tradition amidst modern buzz

BBC unveils Sozopol, a lively port city where remarkable ancient artifacts are being discovered just beneath the surface.  

Situated on a rocky peninsula, Sozopol’s old town resembles a charming cluster of stone and timber structures. The area, with its sturdy family homes, well-preserved city walls, and rugged cliffs, exudes a fortified, close-knit feel. Facing west towards the small island of St Kirik, Sozopol embraces its natural harbor, providing a secure anchorage for sailors along the often tumultuous Black Sea coast.  

Today, Sozopol is one of Bulgaria’s top resorts, boasting medieval churches and expansive sandy beaches. However, it was the town's welcoming harbor that initially attracted ancient Greek travelers over 2,500 years ago. 

The town’s contemporary name is derived from the Greek for "City of Salvation," but in the first millennium BC, it was known as Apollonia Pontica, named after the Greek Sun god Apollo. Apollonia Pontica developed into a vibrant port city, featuring a grand temple to Apollo and a towering 13-meter bronze statue of the god. This statue was second only in size to the Colossus of Rhodes among ancient Greek statues, renowned throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and appearing on the city's coins before being stolen by the Romans. On a sunny, early spring day, it’s hard to envision the perils of navigating the Black Sea. However, both ancient and modern sailors have faced significant challenges in these waters, according to Nayden Prahov, director of the Sozopol-based Centre for Underwater Archaeology.

"Sailing here is risky due to the southern winds on the Black Sea," Prahov explains as we meet on his dive boat, Hristina, docked among the blue and white fishing boats in the harbor. "This is the first safe harbor between the Bosphorus and the Balkan Mountains."   Prahov notes that in ancient times, the entrance to the port was through a narrow gap at the northern end, now blocked by a breakwater. Navigating this entry point would have been difficult, but once inside, ships found protection between the peninsula and St Kirik Island.

"That's why the symbol of Apollonia Pontica is the anchor," he adds with a smile.   Today, the remnants of what was once refuse—primarily thousands of broken pottery shards, ranging from practical jars to intricately painted drinking vessels—offer invaluable insights into the grandeur of one of the Black Sea's foremost ancient ports.   Apollonia Pontica was established by Greeks from Miletus, located in present-day western Türkiye, in 610 BC.

This settlement was among the earliest of the so-called "Greek colonization" era, which saw a wave of Greek expansion across the Mediterranean and Black Sea from the 8th to the 6th Century BC, reaching as far west as southern Spain and as far east as Georgia.   The safety of its port was crucial in transforming the Black Sea, once known to the Greeks as the Pontos Axeinos or "Inhospitable Sea," into the Pontos Euxeinos or "Hospitable Sea." However, the Greeks encountered a region already inhabited by the Thracians, a formidable and influential civilization.

Trade between the local Thracians and Greek settlers fueled the city’s development and wealth. In return for local goods like grain, salt, timber, and copper ore, the Greeks provided coveted Mediterranean products such as olive oil and wine. Among the artifacts unearthed during excavations is a glass perfume bottle from the Roman era, still containing its fragrant oil. The Mediterranean influence is still vibrant among the cobblestone streets and seafront tavernas of Sozopol today.