The Church of Christ Pantocrator is usually dated to the late 13th or early 14th century.[2][3] University of Pennsylvania scholar Robert G. Ousterhout places its construction in the mid-14th century.[4] Rough Guides author Jonathan Bousfield attributes its building to the rule of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria (r. 1331–1371),[5] though during this time control of Nesebar changed many times between the Second Bulgarian Empire and Byzantium.[6] The church is dedicated to Christ Pantocrator, a name of God which hails him as the "Ruler of All" in Greek.[3][7]