One of the most important dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Thrace and Bulgaria area. Apart from the town of Anchialos (Pomorie), under its jurisdiction were numerous villages and the large harbour of Pyrgos (Burgas). Greek education in the area was particularly developed.

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Small diocese under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople; its see until the middle of the 19th century was located in Silistria (Silistra) and later on in Tulcea. The relatively scant flock consisted of Bulgarians, Romanians and Greeks. From the late 1860s onwards, when the rivalry between Greeks and Bulgarians escalated, the diocese was essentially split, since the majority of the Bulgarians founded the exarchate diocese of Ruse-Drystra. In 1878, the area was...

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The history of the ecclesiastical province of Mesimvria continued till the early 20th century. The Greek population of the diocese dwindled significantly during the 19th century. This decrease in the number of the Greek inhabitants reached its climax at the beginning of the 20th century, when most of them emigrated to Greece. The Greek diocese remained until 1931, when the last metropolitan, Nikiforos, died.

One of the most significant dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Bulgaria, as well as a one of the most important centres of Greek education in the area. The two monasteries in the jurisdiction of the diocese, close to the city of Varna, were also notable. During the 19th century eminent personages such as Ioakeim, who later on became Ecumenical Patriarch, served as metropolitans.