Tuesday, October 15, Sofia

Had a very ecumenical Day. Started with the synagogue, which is quite large and quite beautiful and still functioning though with an aging population of undetermined numbers.  It is Sephardic, since the influx from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition boosted the small Jewish population that had been here since the fourth century.  They get a minyan every day and up to 50 or so on Shabbat.  There is a mikvah, a pre-school, and even a K-high school, though many non-Jews attend since it is one of the better schools in the city.

Sofia Synagogue, built 1909

Interior, very moorish

Mosaic floor, interior of synagogue

 

There was also a small museum of the history of the Jews in Bulgaria and we spoke with the young woman in charge. By WWII twenty per cent of Sofia's population was Jewish and Bulgarians are very proud that they protected their 50,000 Jews from the death camps by dragging their feet in rounding them up.  After the war most emigrated to Israel, hence the small remaining population.

We went to the mosque that we had seen from the outside on Sunday.  It is being totally retrofitted and isn't quite ready for visitors.  Charlie refused to go in because he didn't want to leave his shoes or wear the "cover-up".  

Mosque from the back since the front is covered with scaffolding (It hasn't changed since Sunday)

Self-portrait, inside the mosque

Don't know if the reinforcements will remain, but they do detract from the grandeur

On to the Russian Orthodox Church.  Much smaller, but lovely from the outside, and closed on the inside for restoration.  You can see how we covered a lot of ground, with such quick visits.

Russian Orthodox Church

Next we hit the landmark big cathedral, the Alexander Nevsky Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral.  Not as ornate as the Romanian one, but considerably larger.  Of course no interior photos.

Alexander Nevsky Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral 

And since it's Bulgaria, we got a double dose of orthodoxy by visiting St. Sofia Basilica, where a service was taking place with beautiful choral music. This particular church first dates from the late 19th century, but it is built above the remains of three earlier churches which were built around three successive cemeteries. (Spell check doesn't like any of my attempts at a plural for necropolis).  It is very plain inside. There is a fascinating, if a little confusing, archeological museum built around the ruins below the present church.

St. Sofia

Below St. Sophia

We broke up this pilgrimage to religious sights by visits to two of the cities markets; one the Zhenski Pazar open air market, very busy and definitely downscale, and the other, Central Market Hall, much less fun or interesting, but quieter and cleaner. The latter is a smaller, less ornate version of the one we visited in Budapest.

I think these are scallions, but they could be leeks.  Either way, they're huge.

The open air market

The Central Market

The Ethnological Museum had been recommended to us, so we soldiered on.  It is housed with an art museum in the former Parliament building.  It was a hodge-lodge of costumes from different regions and different time periods, each interesting but hard to distinguish one from another.

A bridal couple, probably 19th century.  Incidentally, the Church must not have the influence here that it does in Romania because many couples live together, have kids, but never marry.

After lunch, (love the yoghurt and cucumber soup) we took a rest before heading out again.  Wanted to see the changing of the guard at the Presidency (the offices of the President, who has no power because there is a Prime Minister).

Yes, that is a goose step

This is a twentieth century building, part of a governmental complex built by the Communists.  Quite a contrast to the ones built in Romania.

More of the government buildings

Department of Justice, with more lions, a national symbol

Then we hit yet another church, just because we kept walking past it and thought it looked interesting. Not so much. 

What excitement!  Charlie knew Aida was going to be performed tonight but couldn't get tickets on line before we came.  So when we arrived we went to the box office since the theater is only 2 blocks from our hotel.  No luck.  Tried again the next day.  It turns out this was opening night, not just of Aida but of the season, and it was totally sold out.  Undeterred, he decided to go anyway, hoping to find a scalper.  When we arrived at 6:45 for a 7:00 performance the doors weren't even opened and the crowd was milling around outside. We assumed Bulgarian time was like Romanian time. 

A night at the opera

He was promptly approached by two separate women with one ticket each which he purchased at face value.  They were dirt cheap -- about $14 US for one and $21.00 US for the other.  Hadn't had dinner thinking our chances of getting in were so slim we'd eat instead.   While standing on the pavement eating an ice cream bar (dinner)  I saw a chauffeured car drive by, follow by two suits on foot and another SUV and told Charlie the President was coming to the opening. He scoffed, but I was right. The crowd was milling because there were only two doors open and they were doing a full security check on everyone coming in.  I safely navigated around the x-ray, got wanded below the waist, and we found our seats, not too far apart.  And best of all, the opera was really great!  Imaginative staging, great voices, and the supertitles were in English as well as Bulgarian.  And the seats weren't bad.  Only problem was the lack of air conditioning and I thought I might die before Radames and Aida in the last act.  This was a coup for Charlie and he can leave Sofia a happy man.

19,343 steps (8.3 miles)