site.btaSozopol Municipality Is Model for Cultural Heritage Preservation, Says VP Iotova

Sozopol Municipality has developed one of the best models for preserving cultural heritage, which is among the great challenges of our civilization, said Vice President Iliana Iotova on Tuesday. She was speaking at the opening of the Brand Sozopol and the Relics of the Baptist conference, held in the seaside town and organized by Sozopol Municipality and the Standart media group.

"When we talk about cultural heritage, we are not referring to an abstract concept, but to the history of our identity. It includes not only artifacts, archaeological finds, monuments, inscriptions, and manuscripts passed down through history, but also many elements of our contemporary life," Iotova said.

The forum discussed tourism projects on the territory of Sozopol, the role of cultural and historical heritage and archaeology in the region's development, and opportunities for establishing Sozopol as a leading tourist and spiritual centre.

Among the key topics was the future of St. St. Kirik and Julita Island, which infrastructure is in very poor condition. The issue had previously been raised during an April meeting in Sozopol, attended by the initiative committee chaired by Prof. Velislav Minekov. On that occasion, and in the presence of Iotova, participants reached a consensus that the Ministry of Culture, as the legal owner of the site, must take concrete steps to rehabilitate the island, which is currently practically unusable.

St. Ivan Island, where the remains of the St. John the Forerunner Monastery are located, was also presented as a future tourist attraction. In late 2023, the State granted Sozopol Municipality management rights over most of the island for a ten-year period. Sozopol Mayor Tihomir Yanakiev said that only a few months later, the local administration finalized a development concept for the site.

Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven said that on August 29, he will celebrate a liturgy on the island, the first such service in approximately 500 years. He noted that this act will symbolize the support of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for the development of the island, where in 2010 Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov discovered a reliquary believed to contain relics of St. John the Baptist.