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Nessebar is the only city in Bulgaria that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

However, due to the lack of an adopted Plan for the Protection and Management of the Ancient City of Nessebar, there is a danger that the city will be removed from this list, the Ministry of Culture warned.   

The plan for the preservation and management of the Old Town of Nessebar under the Law on Cultural Heritage is an obligation of the state.

In 2010-2011, the Municipality of Nessebar financed the development of such a plan, which, however, has not yet been adopted by the Council of Ministers and is no longer relevant.

However, the mayor of Nessebar Nikolay Dimitrov is adamant that there is no danger that the city will be removed from this list, because direct exclusion does not exist. 

"I spoke with the Acting Minister of Culture, Velislav Minekov, and I know that this plan is already being worked on.

There is an approved team from the National Institute for Immovable Cultural Heritage.

A report is being written to the World Heritage Committee for the reasons why this Plan for the Protection and Management of the Ancient City of Nessebar has been delayed.

If this management plan is not submitted within the deadlines and the prescriptions that the World Heritage Committee has given are not fulfilled, then Nessebar will be included in the list of World Cultural Property at Risk.

This means that it will be subject to special monitoring and checks until the gaps are eliminated.

It should be clear that direct exclusion does not exist.

I will give you an example with Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik was also on that list.

After they submitted a Management Plan and it was approved,

At the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2021, which was held in China, other instructions were given to Bulgaria related to the preservation of the Ancient City of Nessebar.

By the end of the year, the Cultural Heritage Strategy will be ready, and a program is being prepared to support the owners of revival houses. 

"It is not about renovating private houses, but financial assistance, technical assistance to provide project strategies for them to apply and make projects that are in line with the requirements of the World Heritage Committee.

We are working on this recommendation.

In 2023, we will propose that in the budget of the Municipality of Nessebar, funds be set aside for a fund to support all those residents who have houses that are monuments of culture," says Dimitrov. 

Asen Vassilev: We will not allow Nessebar to be removed from the UNESCO list

The municipality of Nessebar has fulfilled all other prescriptions of the World Heritage Committee from the previous management plan - street trade has been removed, advertisements in the Old Town have been adapted, stone pavements have been laid, and most of the churches have been restored.

"We are currently implementing a project for the restoration of the ethnographic museum.

We restored the Windmill with our own funds.

We have a project for the Church of Christ Pantocrator, which is located in the center of the Old Town.

With the assistance of the Leventis Foundation, years ago, we restored the church of St.

Stefan".

With the cooperation of the American Embassy, ​​we restored and strengthened the church "Saint John Aliturgetos".

We made an exhibition with underwater archeology - "Journey in living traditions", an exhibition of intangible cultural heritage.

Another ARHICUP project, which the municipality won, together with the Museum of Moldova and Romania, was recently completed.

Under this project, a 3D scanner was purchased that can scan and present the cultural monuments," adds the mayor of Nessebar.  

In 2023, Nessebar will celebrate 40 years in UNESCO.

Together with the Ministry of Culture, an exhibition in Paris, at the World Heritage Committee, of underwater archeology is already being considered.

A scientific conference, exchange of experience between the UNESCO cities of Nessebar, Dubrovnik, Safranbolu is also planned.

Velislav Minekov

Ministry of Culture

Nessebar

UNESCO