Ancient Town Mesembria (Μεσημβρία, Месемврия)

The ancient city of Mesembria, whose remains are located in modern-day Nessebar, Bulgaria, was once a settlement on the western Black Sea. Its foundation dates back to Greek colonization, and it played a role on the Via Pontica.

Mesembria emerged in the late 6th or early 5th century BC as a Greek colony. The origin of its founders is variously stated in historical sources, with Byzantion, Chalcedon, and Megara being named as mother cities. The city's name is derived from the Thracian word "-bria" for city and is often interpreted as "City of Menas" or "City of Melsas," with Melsas considered the Thracian founding hero. The city was built on a 350-meter-long peninsula. Apollo was Mesembria's patron deity, and inscriptions attest to the existence of an Apollo temple, which also served for displaying public documents from the early 3rd century BC. From the mid-5th century BC, Mesembria minted its own coins, initially silver, later bronze, depicting a helmet on the obverse and a wheel as a sun symbol on the reverse. This coinage continued into the Roman Imperial period.

The ancient ruins of Mesembria are situated in Nessebar, in the Nessebar district, Burgas region, Bulgaria. The site is located on a peninsula, approximately 10 meters above sea level.