The picturesque towns of Nessebar and Sozopol stand proud on the coast of the Black Sea. A stroll in the old parts of this towns will reveal as much architectural history as one can stand. These ancient cities had a tumultuous history, starting from Thrace settlements, then Greek colonies that fell under the conquest ofContinue reading “Old houses of Nessebar and Sozopol”
Author Archives: sahnisi
Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part IV) – Church of St. Spas #BYZ40
The word ”Byzantine” starts having little or no meaning now, since we are talking about a 17th century church, thus built long after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Still, we still use the same family of posts, since it carries the influence of the past churches. But it diverges from the others through itsContinue reading “Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part IV) – Church of St. Spas #BYZ40”
Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part III – Church of Saint Stephen #BYZ37)
While in the first post, we covered the principal old churches of Nessebar and their plans, i.e. transition from basilica to cruciform plan, and in the second post, we explored the unique decorations (or are they really unique?) of some of the 13th and 14th century churches, this post focuses more on one of theContinue reading “Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part III – Church of Saint Stephen #BYZ37)”
Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part II)
Previous post covered the list of main churches in Nessebar, along with the transformation of their plan from 3-aisle to cruciform. But the beauty of these churches lies in the lavish unique decorations, especially of those built during the 13th and the 14th centuries, during the Second Golden Age of Bulgarian Culture, during the SecondContinue reading “Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part II)”
Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part I)
The title may be misleading, as we will cover in general those churches of Byzantine influence, but not necessarily built during Byzantine reign. In some cases, Nessebar was in Byzantine hands, in others in Bulgarian hands, while in others it was under Bulgarian kings, but in a Byzantine yoke etc. We start with the followingContinue reading “Byzantine Churches of Nessebar (Part I)”
What is THE purpose?
This blog just like everything one does must have a purpose. If educational, in order to be effective in an ocean of resources, posts and social media, it needs to clearly state its mission. To get there, first of all, this blog is still on probation. Not just by the contemporan reader (that actually goesContinue reading “What is THE purpose?”
Modern architecture in Nessebar and Sozopol
Creating modern architecture in historical sites always poses a challenge. The ethical modernist cannot simply ignore the traditional vernacular architecture and build according to his own taste or values as that would simply spoil the heritage built around it. One suboptimal solution always is adapting the shape of the tradition to fit the modern eye.Continue reading “Modern architecture in Nessebar and Sozopol”
How do I (choose to) read history?
History is the most powerful knowledge a human being can possess. I am stating that despite my engineering background. Understanding history can be a powerful tool that literally unblocks your vision of the world, people, life. As such, it can also turn into one of the most dangerous tools in some people’s hands. Historical knowledgeContinue reading “How do I (choose to) read history?”
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