Archaeologists Uncover an Ancient Monastery near Ahtopol

The National Museum of History and the Municipality of Tsarevo are joining efforts to explore one of the most significant spiritual centres along Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast — the Ahtopol Monastery of St John the Forerunner. Archaeological excavations at the site, known locally as “St Yani”, continue this year under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr Boni Petrunova, Director of the National Museum of History, with active support from the Ahtopol mayor’s office.

The monastery is located on a headland of the same name, south of Ahtopol’s harbour bay. It is believed to have served as the residence of the Agathopolis Metropolitan until 1829. In the 1960s, a Border Police facility was built on the site. In 2019, the property was transferred from the Border Police to the Ministry of Culture, which a year later granted its management to the National Museum of History. Since then, the museum has developed a concept design to transform the peninsula into a cultural centre combining archaeology, history and contemporary cultural events.

The Ahtopol Monastery “St John the Forerunner” is believed to have been constructed in the 12th–13th centuries. Over the last five archaeological seasons, researchers have uncovered the foundations of the longest church ever discovered along Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast — evidence of the important role of medieval Agathopolis as one of the five known episcopal centres on the southern Black Sea coast of present-day Bulgaria.

To date, 257 artefacts have been unearthed at the site and are exhibited annually at the Anchor Museum in Ahtopol. Among the most notable finds are silver coins from the Principality of Achaea (of Guillaume II de Villehardouin, Isabelle I de Villehardouin, and Charles II of Anjou), a gold coin of Suleiman the Magnificent, an elegant jasper cross, and two Celtic bronze fibulae from the Roman period (3rd century AD).

This is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites on Bulgaria’s southern coast. The discoveries at “St Yani” are reshaping historians’ understanding of Agathopolis’ historical significance. The ongoing excavations are part of Tsarevo Municipality’s broader vision to preserve and promote the region’s rich cultural and historical heritage.