Southern Fortress Wall and Tower
The Southern Fortress Wall and Tower Museum Complex is one of the most remarkable and distinctive archaeological attractions in Sozopol, located along the coastal promenade in the southern part of the Old Town, at 50 Milet Street. It is one of the first privately founded museum complexes in Bulgaria, opened in 2004 through the initiative of the builder Kiril Arnautski — a native of the village of Vladimirovo in Montana Region — who had purchased an old, largely derelict house on the site with the intention of renovating it. During the first excavations, workers unexpectedly uncovered the remains of an ancient fortress wall and tower, after which the plans changed completely: archaeologists took over, the house was rebuilt as a faithful copy of a traditional Sozopol Revival-period dwelling, and the entire property was transformed into a museum. Since its opening, the complex has received over 130,000 visitors.The complex is multilayered and spans several distinct historical periods, combining elements of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Bulgarian National Revival in a single site. Among its most significant finds are: sections of the aqueduct of ancient Apollonia Pontica, dated to the 5th century BC; an ancient square well — a nymphaeum — from the 4th–3rd centuries BC, associated with the cult of the three nymphs, guardians of springs, into which visitors traditionally throw a coin; a vast granary from the 5th–6th century AD — the largest structure discovered in Sozopol, dating from the period when the town held the largest Black Sea grain export port; a well-preserved section of the southeastern fortress wall and a rectangular watchtower with secret entrances, which defended the city from the 4th to the 14th century; and a small chapel dating from the 13th–14th century. Above the tower, barracks quarters once housed the guards of the fortification. The complex offers a panoramic view of the southern Sozopol bay — one of the most beautiful views in the Old Town — and is managed by the Sozopol Foundation, which also organises year-round guided walks through the ancient city of Apollonia.
