Saint Ivan

The largest Bulgarian island in the Black Sea is St. Ivan (St. St. John). Its area is 0.66 km2. It is located nearly a kilometer from the Old Town of Sozopol (Stolets Peninsula). It rises 33 m above sea level. Nowadays there is a functioning sonar lighthouse on the island, part of the navigation on the Southern Black Sea coast.

The island was a holy place for the ancient Thracians. After 1985, partial archeological excavations were carried out, which revealed the remains of two Christian temples, a library, a royal residence and others.

On July 28, 2010 at 13.30 during archeological excavations under the direction of Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov and Rev. Tsonya Drazheva of the earliest church in the medieval monastery "St. John the Baptist ”, built in the early 5th century, was found in the ruins of the monastery reliquary with relics of St. John the Baptist. The reliquary with the relics of the saint was unsealed on August 1 of the same year by a special commission. The relics are on display today for worship in the church "St. St. Cyril and Methodius ”in the town of Sozopol.

Saint Ivan

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