- Sofia Synagogue
Infobox religious building
building_name=Sofia Synagogue
caption=
location=flagicon|BulgariaSofia ,Bulgaria
geo=
religious_affiliation=Orthodox Judaism
district=
functional_status=Active
leadership=Rabbi Bechor Kachlon
website=http://www.sofiasynagogue.com/
architecture_type=
architecture_style=Moorish Revival
facade_direction=
year_completed=1909
construction_cost=
architect=Friedrich Grünanger
capacity=1,170
length=
width=
width_nave=
height_max=31 metres
dome_height_outer=
dome_height_inner=23 metres
dome_dia_outer=
dome_dia_inner=19 metres
materials=The Sofia Synagogue ( _bg. Софийска синагога, "Sofiyska sinagoga") is the largest
synagogue inSoutheastern Europe , one of two functioning inBulgaria and one of the largest inEurope .Constructed for the needs of the Bulgarian capital
Sofia 's mainlySephardic Jew ish community after a project by theAustria n architectFriedrich Grünanger , it resembles the old Sephardic synagogue inVienna and was officially opened on9 September 1909 in the presence ofTsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria . The first preparations for the synagogue's construction date to 1903, while the construction itself had begun on13 November 1905 .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 2ton s 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 toIsrael and thesecularity of the local Jewish population.The architectural style is essentially
Moorish Revival , with elements of theVienna 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 ofCarrara marble and multicoloured Venetian mosaics, as well as decorative woodcarving. The entire building takes up 659 m².Since
8 May 1992 the Sofia Synagogue also houses the Jewish Museum of History, which includes the Jewish Communities in Bulgaria and the Holocaust and the Salvation of the Jews in Bulgaria expositions. A souvenir shop is also in operation.References and external links
* [http://www.sofiasynagogue.com/ Sofia Synagogue website] bg icon en icon
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