Sofia Synagogue, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Sofia Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Southeastern Europe, one of two functioning in Bulgaria (with the other one in Plovdiv) and the third-largest in Europe.

Constructed for the needs of the Bulgarian capital Sofia's mainly Sephardic Jewish community after a project by the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger, it resembles the old Moorish Leopoldstädter Tempel in Vienna and was officially opened in 1909 in the presence of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. The first preparations for the synagogue's construction date to 1903, while the construction itself had begun on 13 November 1905. The construction of a grand new synagogue was part of the reorganization efforts of the Bulgarian Jewish community under Lemberg-born Chief Rabbi Marcus Ehrenpreis and local leaders Ezra Tadjer and Avram Davidjon Levy. Prior to the construction of the new synagogue, the lot in central Sofia had been occupied by an older synagogue.

One of the architectural monuments of Sofia, the synagogue, located in the very centre of the city near the Central Market Hall, can accommodate 1,300 worshippers. The Sofia Synagogue's main chandelier weighs 1.7 tons and is the largest in the country.

Despite the building's size, the services are normally only attended by some 50 to 60 worshippers due to the aliyah of most of Bulgaria's Jews to Israel and the secularity of the local Jewish population.

The architectural style is essentially Moorish Revival, with elements of the Vienna Secession and, in the facade, Venetian architecture. The main premise has a diameter of 20 m and is 31 m high. It is topped by an octagonal dome. The interior is richly decorated, featuring columns of Carrara marble and multicoloured Venetian mosaics, as well as decorative woodcarving. The entire building takes up 659 m². The biggest chandelier in the Balkans is there and the rumor said it is made from gold from Ancient Palestine.

Since 8 May 1992 the Sofia Synagogue also houses the Jewish Museum of History, which includes the Jewish Communities in Bulgaria, the Holocaust and the Rescue of the Jews in Bulgaria expositions. A souvenir shop is also in operation.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Bulgaria

User Reviews

Michael Wu PhD (13 months ago)
This synagogue is just a couple block away from the central mosque. Yet, they live in peace being neighbors of centuries.

Michael Habib (14 months ago)
Beautiful place... My first time ever inside a Jewish synagogue and I was impressed.

Thiago Branco (15 months ago)
beautiful both inside and outside. unfortunately the level of scrutiny from the authorities in order to even access the building felt over the top and a borderline invasion of privacy. endless questioning, IDs were checked for several minutes, then everything in our backpack was checked, including individual pages of a book (?) and house keys. once finally through, we were “welcomed” by someone inside the building who bluntly asked for money, as admission is not free, and did not make us feel welcome at all. it’s a shame how this tarnished what could’ve been an otherwise beautiful visit

Rhys Travel (17 months ago)
Good visit as it was beautiful and ornate inside. Getting in required a check on our photo ID which was fine and understandable.

Rowan Nas (2 years ago)
THIS PLACE IS MANAGED BY RACISTS!!! The security guard denied entry to my partner simply because of his place of birth and said it to him very openly, and the person on the contact line said there’s nothing she can do, and didn’t even apologise. Please DO NOT visit here and support institutional racism!

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