No visitor can help but be impressed by the ruins of the Sveta Sofia Church, also known as the Old Metropolitan Church. Dating as far back as the 5th century, this vast, three-nave basilica was rebuilt in the 9th century as part of a huge complex that encompassed the Bishop’s palace. It remained Nesebâr’s chief ecclesiastical centre until about 1257, when the church was ransacked by the Venetians. It contained three naves and boasted a spacious interior with high walls and wide windows. Today the ruins form the centrepiece of a busy plaza surrounded by cafés and artists’ street stalls.