The Holy Saviour Church is an invaluable testimony to the proficiency and the prosperity of the local icon-painting school.

Church of St. Spas

The Church of St Spas may be relatively small, but don’t let this put you off—this is one of the most important churches in Nessebar and a miracle of preservation. A visit here is a must for travellers.

The Church of St Spas was built in 1609 and is Nessebar’s only surviving church constructed during the Ottoman period. For this reason, it has slightly unusual architecture—with a small single nave and single apse. The wooden roof with eaves is without edging and the eastern façade was dug into the ground.

Despite its humble appearance, you’ll find a pleasant surprise inside. The interior has wall paintings that have been preserved in their original form for more than four centuries. These murals represent scenes from the lives of Christ and the Holy Virgin. In the apse, there is a painting of the Virgin Platytera.

The church once held the tombstone of a Byzantine princess called Mataissa Cantacuzina, but that is now in the nearby Archaeological Museum.

Visit

Church of St. Spas

Hours

In 2018, the opening hours are as follows:
From 28 April to 8 July, it is open from 10:30 – 14:00 and 14:30 – 18:00.
From 9 July to 24 September, it is open from 10:30 – 14:00 and 14:30 – 19:00.
From 25 September to 31 October, it is open from 10:30 – 14:00 and 14:30 – 18:00.
From 1 November to 27 April, it is open only by request.

Pricing

Adults: 3 lv
Children: 2 lv

There are also the following combination tickets available.

The Archaeological Museum and the Ethnographic Museum: 8 lv (4 lv for children)
The Church of St Stephen and the Church of St Spas: 8 lv (4 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum and the Church of St Stephen: 10 lv (5 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Church of St Stephen and one of the following – the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St. Paraskeva, the Church of St John the Baptist, or the Ethnographic Museum: 12 lv (6 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Ethnographic Museum and the Church of Christ Pantokrator: 15 lv (8 lv for children)
The Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St Paraskeva and the Church of St John the Baptist: 15 lv (8 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St Paraskeva and the Church of St John the Baptist: 20 lv (10 lv for children)