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Church of the Holy Assumption in the town of Ahtopol

  • Writer: Stefan Ivanov
    Stefan Ivanov
  • Aug 1
  • 5 min read

I present to you the white church "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary" in Ahtopol, which amazes everyone with its original vision and size.


Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol
Church of the Holy Assumption in the town of Ahtopol

You will find it in the very center of Ahtopol, next to the park and opposite the port.



The park is wonderful, very green - with great benches and separate flower beds where you can relax and unwind.


Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol

While I was taking the photos, the moon stood like a kind of halo around the cross of the temple dome.


Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol



Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol



Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol


How to get to Ahtopol?

Ahtopol (Greek: Αγαθούπολιο) is a town on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, in the Tsarevo Municipality, Burgas District.


Uncover the thousand-year history of the seaside town and visit its hidden treasures HERE.


View of the port of Ahtopol
View of the port of Ahtopol

The third-class republican road III-9901 passes through Ahtopol, which leads northwest through the village of Varvara to a connection near the town of Tsarevo with the second-class republican road II-99 and along it to Burgas, and southeast through the village of Sinemorets it leads to the village of Rezovo, where it ends.


The pier of the port of Ahtopol
The pier of the port of Ahtopol

There is no air transport in Ahtopol. The nearest airport is Burgas Airport.


Ahtopol is located:


  • 460 kilometers (about 4 hours and 44 minutes by car) from the capital

  • 328 kilometers (about 3 hours and 34 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv

  • 207 kilometers (about 3 hours and 17 minutes by car) from the city of Varna

  • 77 kilometers (about 1 hour and 09 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas



Ahtopol is located about 15 kilometers (about 18 minutes by car) southeast of the municipal center of Tsarevo and about 17 kilometers (about 21 minutes by car) north-northwest of the southernmost Bulgarian settlement on the Black Sea - the village of Rezovo, near which the state border with the Republic of Turkey passes.



The city is located on an abrasion terrace on a rocky peninsula between Cape Ahtopol and Cape Sveti Yani.


Panorama from the St. George Peninsula towards Papia Peak
Panorama from the St. George Peninsula towards Papia Peak

To the west, right next to the city, the branches of the Strandzha hill Bosna reach, with the highest peak Papija (501.4 meters).


Panorama from the St. George Peninsula looking southeast
Panorama from the St. George Peninsula looking southeast

About four kilometers to the south, near the village of Sinemorets, is the mouth of the Veleka River.


View of the white lighthouse of Ahtopol
View of the white lighthouse of Ahtopol

The altitude in the city at the "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary" church, which rises directly opposite the port, is about 10 meters, in the southwest it increases to about 30 - 35 meters.


Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol
Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol

The climate is continental-Mediterranean with a strong Black Sea climatic influence - mild winters - the mildest winter in Bulgaria, hot summers, early spring and a long and warm autumn.


Palm tree in the town of Ahtopol

Ahtopol has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification) bordering on a Mediterranean climate with limited continental effect.



Ahtopol is a seaside resort with hotels, holiday villages and bungalows, located mainly in the Korosiata area, west of the city, restaurants, numerous guest houses, entertainment venues and campsites.



The beach near the Korosiata area, called the Central Beach of Ahtopol, is with fine sand and dunes, wide, with a length in the territory of Ahtopol of about 1400 meters, and together with the beach, continuing to the northwest in the territory of the village of Varvara - a total of about two kilometers. The coastal seabed is shallow.



In addition to the central beach, there are a series of small beaches in the territory of Ahtopol.



The city is within the territorial scope of Strandzha Nature Park.


The coastal promenade and the old Greek school in Ahtopol
The coastal promenade and the old Greek school in Ahtopol

In the northern part of the port of Ahtopol stands the Ahtopol Lighthouse - the white guard of the port.


Ahtopol Lighthouse – the white guard of the port
Ahtopol Lighthouse – the white guard of the port

I tell you about the Ahtopol Lighthouse – the white guard of the port HERE.


On the site of today's city of Ahtopol, settlements have existed since the Neolithic Age, and during the Iron Age the region was inhabited by the Thracian tribe of Tini.



As a city, Ahtopol was founded around 430 BC by Greek colonists from Athens, and it is assumed that its founding is related to the actions of Pericles in the Black Sea regions.


Fragments of a late antique and medieval fortress in Ahtopol
Fragments of a late antique and medieval fortress in Ahtopol

The city became a trading center, with coins being minted there.



After the barbarian invasions of the 5th - 7th centuries, the city was rebuilt by the Byzantine commander Agathon, who called it Agathopol.



During the Middle Ages, Agatopolis was included in the territory of Bulgaria several times.


I tell you about the late antique and medieval fortress in Ahtopol – the city of love and happiness Agatopolis HERE.


Church monument "Holy Ascension of the Lord" in Ahtopol
Church monument "Holy Ascension of the Lord" in Ahtopol

You can see the fully preserved church "Holy Ascension of the Lord", built in 1776, remains of the monastery "St. John" (St. Yani) from the 12th century, as well as parts of the defensive fortress wall that surrounded the city's citadel, built by Thracians, Romans and Bulgarians, ruins of which can now be seen throughout Ahtopol.


I tell you about the temple monument "Holy Ascension of the Lord" - one of the oldest and most significant architectural monuments in Ahtopol HERE.



The rich historical past of the region is told by the priceless exhibits displayed in the building of the old Greek school, which has today been converted into a museum, as well as the extremely interesting museum collection of the Public Collection "Anchor Museum" in Ahtopol - an immersion in the thousand-year-old maritime tradition with a great love for the sea.



I tell you about the Public Collection "Anchor Museum" in Ahtopol - an immersion in the thousand-year-old maritime tradition with a great love for the sea HERE.


I tell you about the Old Greek School in Ahtopol - a creative base of the National Academy of Arts, a remarkable example of a cultural and historical monument and a center for art and heritage HERE.


How to get to the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary?

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located in the city center, directly opposite the port.




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