Bulgaria's Sozopol Finds New Symbol in Apollo Statue

Bulgaria's seaside tourist town of Sozopol decided to erect a bronze statue of the ancient Greek god Apollo to be the new symbol of the settlement.

The statue will be 13 meters tall and will be placed at the entrance of the town's harbor, as decided by local authorities.

They announced they want the statue completed by the beginning of summer 2011.

It will cost around BGN 0.5 M, part of which will be funded by the municipality, while the rest are planned to come from donations.

Sozopol is the oldest settlement on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, founded as early as 3-4,000 BC. Around 610 BC it was colonized by Greek settlers which gave it the name Apollonia in honor of the god. It quickly became a thriving center of commerce. The name Sozopolis was installed around the 4th century AD.

Currently Sozopol and the area around it are a favorite vacation place for Bulgarian and foreign tourists alike.

Over the summer, a high-profile archaeological find was made of relics of St. John the Baptist in the Sozopol St. Ivan island.

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