For millennia, Bulgaria has been a crossroads of religions and civilisations, renowned for its history of ethnic and religious tolerance. There are few cities where this is as evident as in Sofia. Just a stone’s throw away in the very centre of Sofia stand four places of worship representing the four major religions that are still actively practised today. These are the Orthodox Church of St Nedelya, the Catholic Church of St Joseph, the Banya Bashi Mosque and the Sofia Synagogue, which together are known as the Quadrangle of Tolerance. 

The oldest of the four buildings is the Banya Bashi Mosque, built in the mid-16th century. It is situated at the heart of the Roman complex of Serdica, close to the hot mineral springs that led to Sofia being built on this site. 

Just 150 metres west of the Mosque stands the Sofia Synagogue. It is the largest synagogue in the Balkans and the third largest in Europe. Built in the early 20th century in the style of the Vienna Synagogue, it was later demolished on Hitler’s orders. It once housed a unique library, which was unfortunately destroyed during the bombing of Sofia. The current restored synagogue is larger than the old one and is built in the Spanish-Moorish style, with touches of the Byzantine architectural tradition.

A Catholic church was built 200 metres to the south-west of the synagogue. The church was designed before the Liberation of Bulgaria, but was completed in 1885. It too was damaged by bombing, which is why the current church is a larger, restored version, built with donations from Catholics around the world. The foundation stone of the new building was laid in the presence of Pope John Paul II. 

Beyond the bustling boulevard, beneath which lies the Catholic church, the domes of the Orthodox Cathedral of St Nedelya are clearly visible. It stands on a site where Orthodox churches have stood since the Middle Ages. In 1925, the church was almost completely destroyed in a bloody attack organised by a group of far-left activists from the Military Organisation of the Bulgarian Communist Party. It was rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1933.

Sofia takes pride in its ‘Quadrangle of Tolerance’ – a cultural, architectural and social phenomenon that is characteristic of the city and well worth a visit to experience for yourself.