Church of St Stephen
Nesebar, Bulgaria
Open to visitors
The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.
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The Church of St Stephen in Nesebar, Bulgaria, is a Byzantine three-nave basilica that served as the cathedral of the metropolitan center in the province and now functions as a museum within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building's eastern section, likely dating from the eleventh century, was later enlarged by the addition of a western narthex after the original western wall was removed. Its exterior exemplifies ornamental Byzantine design, featuring mixed masonry of stone and brick in no fixed pattern and trefoil-arch pediments crowning both eastern and western façades. The more elaborate eastern façade displays three high apses, their ceramic-plaque decoration emphasizing the central apse's greater height. Inside, the timber-roofed interior contains hundreds of murals executed by three artists depicting scenes from the Virgin Mary's life, biblical miracles, and the Last Judgment, making it a significant example of Byzantine ecclesiastical decoration.
Movement
- Type
- church building
- Place
- Nesebar, Bulgaria
This building on
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Location