The Sofia Synagogue is a 117-year-old Orthodox Jewish synagogue and home to the Jewish religious community in Sofia, Bulgaria. Completed in 1909, it is the largest synagogue in Southeastern Europe, the third largest Sephardic synagogue in Europe, and one of the two active synagogues remaining in Bulgaria.

I would like to thank the esteemed Julia Gavazova, Julia Georgieva and Ester Zevulun for their support and guidance.

The Sofia Synagogue is one of Bulgaria’s most important architectural, cultural, and religious landmarks. Located in the heart of Sofia, it remains an active place of worship while also serving as a symbol of the country’s rich Jewish heritage. Designed by Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger, the synagogue combines Moorish Revival and Venetian architectural styles, creating a distinctive and elegant appearance. The building occupies 659 square meters with a total built-up area of approximately 1,000 square meters. Its centerpiece is a magnificent octagonal prayer hall crowned by a dome measuring about 20 meters in diameter and reaching a height of 31 meters. The sanctuary is renowned for its exceptional acoustics and can accommodate approximately 1,170 worshippers.

The synagogue’s interior is richly decorated with colorful Venetian mosaics, Carrara marble columns, intricate stone carvings, and ornamental wall details. At the eastern end of the prayer hall stands the Aron HaKodesh, placed on a raised white marble platform and enclosed by beautifully crafted railings. The seating is made of durable Slavonian oak, and in accordance with Jewish tradition, the decorations avoid depicting human figures. Instead, the ceiling is artistically painted to represent the heavens. The building also featured an advanced underfloor heating system for its time, with warm air circulating beneath the floor and rising through metal grilles in the aisles, while two towers on the roof served as chimneys for the heating system.

A distinctive aspect of the synagogue’s design is the repeated use of the number eight, a sacred symbol in Judaism representing renewal, covenant, and divine blessing. Architect Grünanger incorporated this symbolism throughout the building, from the octagonal prayer hall and dome to the arrangement of eight lamps on the central chandelier and the octagonal stars and eight-petaled floral patterns in the Venetian mosaic floor. The number eight also recalls........

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