Sofia, Bulgaria is a city rich in history and in Jewish tradition. There were certainly dark, dark days in the city throughout the years, but there were also moments of triumph for the Jewish people. When you visit the city, you will have a number of attractions from which to choose. Below are some that you may not want to miss.
Sephardic Synagogue
This beautiful temple was opened in 1909. Located in the heart of the city, the temple can hold up to 1300 people, making it the largest in all of southeastern Europe. It is also here that visitors can study documents and artifacts that tell the story of how 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved during time of the Nazi reign.
The items are displayed inside part of the synagogue that has been set aside to serve as the Jewish Museum of History. There are also exhibits about other aspects of the Holocaust and general information about the Jewish communities that have lived in the area, both past and present.
When you visit Sofia with Deluxe Kosher Tours, you will be given the opportunity to watch a film about the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews in order to help bring greater appreciation and understanding to some of what you will see and learn while visiting the Synagogue.
National Assembly
A red star once sat atop this building as a testament to the communist rule which was in place. In 1989, the star was removed when the communist party lost power. Today, the business of the city is still conducted inside this building.
National Art Gallery
Art lovers cannot miss the chance to visit this massive art gallery. The building itself is considered by some to be a work of art. It was once the royal palace, and the impressive architecture makes that fact easy to believe.
Now, instead of housing the royal family (the monarchy was abolished prior to World War II), the building holds more than 50,000 pieces of the best and most important work by Bulgarian artists.
Amazingly, all of the artwork survived the destruction of its former buildings during bombing raids in the early to mid 1940’s. All of those pieces now reside in the National Art Gallery.
The work featured in the museum dates back to Medieval times. While all of the works currently displayed are by Bulgarian artists, the museum once displayed a large collection by artists from other countries. These works are now kept and displayed separately in the National Gallery for Foreign Art, which is located in another nearby building.
When you visit the city with Deluxe Kosher Tours, you will have the opportunity to spend the afternoon at your leisure exploring the many attractions and architecture that make this city so popular among tourists.
There is so much important history in the city of Sofia that it should be on the list of places one must visit during their lifetime. The events that took place here were important for all, but especially for the Jews who were able to see some of the best of what man is made of during one of the darkest times in history.
