One of the most colourful places in our capital, which is definitely worth a visit, is the old Jewish quarter in the centre of Sofia, which today is home to many trendy shops, restaurants and cafés. It is situated between four central boulevards in the northern part of the city centre — between Alexander Dondukov Boulevard, Maria Luisa Boulevard, Slivnitsa Boulevard and Vasil Levski Boulevard, with Georgi S. Rakovski Street running through the middle, dividing it into ‘two lungs’. The old Jewish quarter is an iconic symbol of Old Sofia. The former Torgovska Street — today’s Lege Street — once led to it, but after the bombings in 1944, it cut off the bourgeois quarter and Old Sofia from the city centre. It was then that Largo and all the administrative buildings in the area—the Council of Ministers, the National Bank, the Presidency and Sofia’s Central Department Store—were built on the site of the bombings.
During the 20th century, many Bulgarian Jews lived in the neighbourhood. The predominant architectural style of their family homes, as well as of the first residential buildings in Sofia to be erected there, was Viennese Secession. Many of the stone details on the buildings, which can still be seen there today, were brought from Vienna. As there was no such production in Bulgaria at the time, this makes them all the more sought-after and valuable.
The neighbourhood is also known for having been home to many intellectuals and poets. Urban legend has it that it was here that the writer Ivan Vazov met his death whilst having sex. On the other side of Maria Luisa Boulevard, in a house that has since been demolished, lived the Bulgarian poet Geo Milev after he lost his right eye in the First World War. The urban legend still holds today that it was for this very reason that the children from the neighbourhood wrote ‘A cyclops lives here’ on the poet’s door.
Joseph Herbst also lived in the neighbourhood—one of the founders of Bulgarian journalism and a staunch defender of freedom of speech. Both he and Geo Milev, along with many others, disappeared without trace following the purges that ensued after the attack on St Nedelya Church. Legend has it that after Joseph Herbst’s disappearance, his wife Viola, who loved him dearly, pinned his portrait to her Victorian dress and wandered the streets of Sofia, asking if anyone had seen him.
An interesting fact is that this very neighbourhood was also known as the ‘red-light district’. All the diplomats and guests of the king would stay in the area when they came to visit Sofia. It was here that some of the first casinos and gentlemen’s clubs appeared, and in many of the cellars the famous French cancan, which was banned at the time, was danced.
Sofia’s historic Jewish quarter, together with the entire Oborishte district, remains to this day the area with the highest concentration of architectural monuments and numerous archaeological excavations. It is also the capital’s old commercial quarter, which today attracts many modern artisans, contemporary galleries, Bulgarian design artists and interesting craft restaurants, patisseries and cafés. It was precisely because of the charm of the place and its rich history that the kvARTal initiative was launched here in 2016. Its initiators — Martina Stefanova and her team — explain that the idea behind the project is to revive the old Jewish quarter and people’s interest in it by organising an annual festival, which takes place every year around Sofia Day on 17 September.
Through this event, the organisers aim to draw public attention to the neighbourhood, the preservation of its cultural and architectural heritage, and the creation of more public and urban spaces. The festival is also the time of year when the neighbourhood comes alive and is filled with events organised by all the local businesses and residents. The event usually features a varied programme of historical and sightseeing tours, children’s events, workshops, pop-up exhibitions, pedestrianised zones and streets, music events, literary tours, graffiti art, theatre, and various discussions.
