Tucked into the winding cobblestone streets of Nessebar’s old town, the Church of St. Stephen is a gem of medieval Orthodox architecture. The first church on the site was built in the 11th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. However, most of what can be seen today dates back to the 16th century when the church was enlarged and extensively renovated. But what makes St. Stephen truly remarkable is the church’s interior, covered in wall-to-wall medieval paintings.
The interior contains 258 murals featuring more than 1,000 different New Testament figures. The oldest paintings show scenes from the life of the Holy Mother. Other murals depict miracles performed by Jesus and images of Judgement Day. After analyzing each mural’s painting style, archaeologists determined that three different artists painted the elaborate interior.
Also on view inside the church are St. Stephen’s original 18th-century carved wooden throne and pulpit.
The church is exemplar of 11th century Byzantine architecture, featuring a typical three-nave basilica layout. Decorative brickwork adorns the exterior, along with capitals and cornices taken from earlier, abandoned buildings.
In the 1990s, St. Stephen was in bad shape. But over the next decade emergency conservation work was completed at the church with help from the World Monuments Fund, waterproofing the church and restoring its numerous wall paintings.
Today, St. Stephen is no longer an active place of worship but has been converted into a museum dedicated to perserving this unique religious site.
