PAZARDZHIK OLD SYNAGOGUES

Right in the centre of Pazardzhik, in an easy-to-find passage off a main street, there are two surprisingly well-preserved synagogues dating back to the Bulgarian Revival Period. 

The older of the two, known as the Great Synagogue, was erected in 1850 by a Bulgarian master builder. The synagogue contains some fine examples of the ornaments in vogue at the time, including a marvellous wood-carved ceiling and fine frescos. It is five metres tall and it has as many as 30 windows. Characteristic of many 19th-century Balkan synagogues of the Ottoman era, there are four wooden pillars in the centre of the building, probably once used to support a canopy over the bimah. 

The Small Synagogue was built in 1872 on the spot of a former synagogue that had burnt down. 

During the Communist years the Great Synagogue was used by the local History Museum. The two Pazardzhik synagogues are in good shape structurally, but have not been used for worship for many years. They are kept locked, and one is rented out to a local restaurant.