Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 84

to catch a cab to Boyana. Opposite the
entrance is the Presidency, administrative
quarters of the president (and where the
Changing of the Guard occurs daily on
the hour); head around to the left into a
courtyard where, shadowed by the Sher-
aton, you'll see the:
6 Rotunda St. George
Built by the Romans in the 4th century,
the Rotunda (8am-5pm) became a
church in the 6th century. The 12th- to
14th-century frescoes inside the central
dome are worth a glance, but in compar-
ison to Sofia's churches the UNESCO-
protected building feels pretty soulless.
7 St. Ndelya Church
This 19th-century church was largely
destroyed by a bomb in 1925—intended
to blow up czar Boris III, his life was
spared by an accident of timing, but 200
of his subjects were not that fortunate.
Like the Russian church it is hugely
popular, and as a result one of the most
atmospheric churches in Bulgaria during
services. From here head north, crossing
the “Largo” (use the underpass) to emerge
on the other side at TZUM, Sofia's Com-
munist-era shopping mall—surrounded
by roads and half submerged is a 14th-
century church, the indifference of its
location dating back to Ottoman times,
when grounds around churches were
excavated to symbolically “lower” them.
Also surrounded by busy roads is the:
8 Statue of Sofia
Erected in 2001, the 24m-high (78-ft.)
statue—created by Georgi Chapkanov
and Stanislav Konstantinov—holds the
symbols of fame and wisdom in her
hands; her head bears the crown of
Tjuhe—Goddess of Fate. Walk north
along Maria Luiza Boulevard, and on the
right you will see the:
9 Banya Bashi Mosque
Built in 1576, its minarets still call the
city's small Muslim population to prayer.

It is named after the city's Baths, cur-
rently being restored; in front of the
Baths is a large paved area with a tapped
spring where locals fill bottles with fresh
mineral water to quench their thirst.
Note that the fourth tap runs a perma-
nent supply of piping hot mineral water.
Opposite is the Halite, built in 1909 as
the city's food market, and useful if you
feel like a snack. From here you can either
stroll along Pirotska Street, Sofia's only
pedestrianized shopping street, or head 2
blocks down Ekzarch Josif Stret to:
0 Sofia Synagogue
Built between 1905 and 1909, this beau-
tiful synagogue—largest in the Balkans—
served a community of some 25,000
descendants of the Sephardic community
expelled by the Catholics who found
refuge in Bulgaria under the decidedly
more tolerant Islamic rulers. Today the
community has dwindled to a handful, as
most chose to leave for Israel during the
Communist era. (The vast majority of
Bulgaria's Jews survived World War II
despite the fact that czar Boris III sided
with Hitler. Under immense pressure
from local civic leaders, he refused to
deport Bulgarian Jews, fobbing off Nazi
demands by forcing the Jews to disperse
within the countryside. Many Bulgarian's
believe this cost him his life; see Rila
Monastery, below.) Having stepped
inside to admire the massive Viennese
chandelier (weighing in at 1,700 kilo-
grams/3,750 lb.), saunter to the:
! Zhenski Pazar
This multicultural street (A2, A3 Stefan
Stambalov St.), known as “Women's Mar-
ket,” is a world away from the nearby
City Garden and its metropolitan pave-
ment cafes. Here heavy-set women in
headscarves peruse large piles of colorful
fruits and vegetables, bargain for Troyan
ceramics (the cheapest prices you'll find
anywhere), or simply pick up domestic
essentials from the tiny shops, including