Bas-reliefs of the Burgas’ Synagogue and the Catholic Church to be included in the mosaic “Old map of Burgas” on Bogoridi Str. offers Center for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation “Alef”. The buildings of the two temples are not only architectural landmarks and cultural monuments, they are a symbol of the various ethnic and religious diversity of the city. Alef justifies its proposal in a special letter to the mayor of Burgas- Dimitar Nikolov.
Now there are three temples in the mosaic “Old Map of Bourgas” – the St. Cyril and Methodius cathedral, built in the former Bulgarian neighbourhood, the Greek church “Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin” and the Armenian Church “Holy Cross”. The Jewish synagogue is missing, located in Burgas right next to them. The building of the Synagogue is one of the cultural and historical treasures of the city and is emblematic for it. It is a symbol of the presence of the Jewish community and its contribution to the development of Bourgas from the dawn of its creation to the present days. The synagogue was built in the centre of the former Jewish Quarter, in the historical centre of the old Bourgas between 1906 and 1910. It clearly indicates in time and space the Jewish presence in the fate of the city. A monument of culture and spirituality, the Synagogue still impresses with its beauty and grandeur.
The Catholic Church is one of the oldest temples in Burgas. Its construction was completed in 1888- nearly 30 years after the Sultan’s ferman in Bourgas to be build a church for the sailors, who visits the port with merchant ships.
Burgas is a tourist centre and today is visited by a variety of tourists. Guided by the mosaic, they would be interested in the Synagogue and the Catholic Church, who posses historical, architectural and spiritual information about the city. The members and sympathizers of Center Alef believe that the two temples should occupy their place in the “Old map of Burgas”, because their exposure will make a huge contribution to the overall image of our city.
