BBC called the Bulgarian city of Sozopol "mini Greece“ on the seashore with a treasury right on the shore. The British media published a study on the Black Sea settlement, defining it as a lively port city, in which incredible relics of antiquity can be found just a few meters under the water.
Ancient Apollonia was established in 610 BC. The city was an extremely rich trading center. Then the urban environment was born in the Thracian lands. The patron of the ancient settlement was the god Apollo, who had an extremely tall statue in the city. Today's Sozopol is an extremely attractive destination for millions of tourists from all over the world.
"The city is a strategic base for the entire Greek colonization along the shores of the Black Sea, along with two others - one on the Danube delta, the other Olbia in Ukraine, near the Kerch Peninsula," said Dimitar Nedev, director of the archaeological museum in Sozopol.
On the territory of today's Sozopol, in ancient times, the two cultures that formed the basis of European civilization - the Thracian and the Hellenic - were mixed, later united in the Roman Empire.
The interesting thing here is that the city was a very rich trading colony all along and its riches were based on the copper mines near the port. In practice, Apollonia controls all sea traffic and has very wide connections with Hellas,", Nedev added.
"The BBC rather emphasized that the city is not only welcoming with its beaches and good weather, but also with its rich history. So that in both aspects it can be accepted as a good tourist destination from the point of view of entertainment, of having a good time and secondly as a tourist destination that emphasizes cultural tourism", said the mayor of Sozopol Tihomir Yanakiev.
Sozopol, apart from sun, sea and cultural festivals, also tries to attract guests with archaeology. One of the large sites is currently on the territory of the Bus Station, where intensive work has been going on for 6 months.
"We have a burial in Amphora from the 6th century BC. and this is the earliest layer and the last for this object. "There are no more cultural layers below, in jargon, at depth," said Dr. Yavor Ivanov, scientific director of the site.
After the completion of the work of the archaeologists, the management of the municipality is considering how the site can become part of the attractions in Sozopol. This year, the number of visitors to the ancient city increased by nearly 10%.