Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar
Encyclopedia
The Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, Nesebar, is a former monastery church situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Nesebar
in Bulgaria
and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title "Eleusa
", or "the Tender".
The church, on the northern side of the peninsula, was built in the 6th century. It is recorded until the 14th century, and formed part of a monastery complex. It is presumed to have been destroyed by an earthquake.
The northern part and the central nave had sunk into the sea, but in 1920 excavations and research began here, and the church is now well-preserved and partly restored.
It has three naves, three apse
s and a narthex
, with two smaller apses on the north and south sides. It is 28 m long and 18 m wide.
Nesebar
Nesebar is an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality...
in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title "Eleusa
Eleusa
The Eleusa is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary in which the infant Jesus Christ is nestled against her cheek.-Depictions:...
", or "the Tender".
The church, on the northern side of the peninsula, was built in the 6th century. It is recorded until the 14th century, and formed part of a monastery complex. It is presumed to have been destroyed by an earthquake.
The northern part and the central nave had sunk into the sea, but in 1920 excavations and research began here, and the church is now well-preserved and partly restored.
It has three naves, three apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s and a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
, with two smaller apses on the north and south sides. It is 28 m long and 18 m wide.