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Sozopol is a resort town in Southeastern Bulgaria, located on the Black Sea near Burgas. Sozopol is located near both the Black Sea coast and to the foot of Mount Strandja. Its center (Old Town) is located on a small peninsula. Near it are the islands of St. John and St. Peter.

Sozopol is the oldest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The first settlement here was established at the end of the IV-III millennium BC. Archaeologists found the remains of dwellings, ceramic pottery, stone and bone tools from the Bronze Age, which are under water in the harbor of the city. In the bay and found numerous stone anchors and stocks dating from the II-I millennium BC. The city is considered the center of an unknown civilization that occurred in the Iron Age.

In 610 BC at the site of today's Sozopol was founded Hellenic colony under the name Apollonia Pontica. The name of the town comes from the god Apollo, considered the protector of the colony. The city grew as an important port and commercial center. Maintains active links with major greek poleis like Miletus, Athens, Corinth, Heraclea Pontica, the islands Rhodes, Chios, Lesbos and others. Its trade influence in Thrace is based on an alliance with the rulers of the Odrysian kingdom, dating from the V century BC. Apollonia Pontica competed with the megarian colony of Messembria. Apollonia created its own colony – Anhialo (present-day Pomorie) to the south side of Mesembria. The new colony had an obligation to protect access to the Burgas Bay. It also had rich undersea deposits of salt.

In VI century BC the city became the largest cultural and commercial center in the region and was named Apollonia Magna - Great Apollonia. The city minted coins which depict an anchor - the symbol of the polis and mark for its naval supremacy. In the historical sources there is information about the magnificent temple of Apollo - the patron of the city, which was destroyed by the Romans and it is not known exactly where it was located. It is believed that it was probably on the island of Kirik.

In 72 BC the city was conquered and sacked by the Romans, and its fortification wall - destroyed. Marcus Lucullus, who conquered the city, took with him the famous statue of Apollo from the sanctuary and put it on the Capitol Hill in Rome. In IV century Sozopol was again on the rise and was known as Sozopolis - "city of salvation." It was traditional Byzantine town in the hinterland of Constantinople until 812 - when under the reign of Khan Krum - Sozopol briefly became part of the Bulgarian state.

Sozopol, with Messembria (present-day Nessebar) fell under Turkish rule in 1459 - six years after the fall of Constantinople, as one of the last Byzantine strongholds. In the defense of the city participated Genoese and Venetian ships.

XVIII-XIX century churches and many houses of wood and stone create a unique architectural character of today's Sozopol. Ancient icons and magnificent wood-carved iconostasis presented the remarkable achievements of arts and crafts of that time. The old town of Sozopol is declared a museum in 1974. Still preserved are many authentic houses of the XVIII-XIX century, and in its suburbs can be seen the medieval city walls and ancient necropolis of more than 2000 years. The city is also famous for its churches, and archaeological museum. In 2010 near the town were found the relics of St. John the Baptist.