Central Market Hall Sofia
The Central Sofia Market Hall ( Bulgarian Централни софийски хали / Zentralni Sofijski Chali in short, халите / chalite - the halls), built from 1909 to 1911, is a market hall in the center of Sofia , on Boulevard Knjaginija Maria Luisa , between the Exarch Josif -Straße in Located north and Pirozka Street to the south. This market hall, at 25 Boulevard Knjaginija Maria-Luisa , was the earliest of its kind in modern Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian name for the market hall is borrowed from French, in Sofia in the plural (Chalite / The Halls) as in the French name Les Halles .
description
The Sofia Central Market Hall was built in the neo-renaissance style, with echoes of neo-Byzantine architecture and neo-baroque . The building has a rectangular floor plan of 65 × 55 m and a floor area of 3200 m². There is an entrance on each of the four sides. The main entrance, on the Boulevard Maria Luisa , is adorned with a bell tower with three clocks that were installed on the tower in 1915. In the facade above the main entrance, on the east side of the building, there is also the relief of the coat of arms of Sofia , which at that time did not bear the motto "Grows but does not age", this was only added to the coat of arms in 1911 and did not have any laurel branches . The roof consists of a steel and glass construction.
Directly opposite the Central Market Hall in the east is the Banya Baschi Mosque (1576) and next to it the Central Mineral Bath Sofia (1913), which now houses the Museum of the City of Sofia. Immediately behind the market hall in the west is the Sofia Synagogue (1909). In 1955 the building was declared a cultural monument of national importance. The market hall is an architectural cultural monument in Sofia.
In front of the main entrance to the Central Market Hall , on the other side of the boulevard Maria Luisa, is the "Bad-Platz" (площад "Бански" / Ploschtad "Banski"), between the mineral bath and the market hall. The small square south of the market hall is known as the "Central Halls" square (Площад "Централни хали" / Ploschtad "Zentralni chali").
history
The construction of the Central Market Hall took place on the decision of the Sofia municipality and began in 1909 based on a design by the architect Naum Nikolow Torbow (Bulgarian Наум Николов Торбов ), who won the architectural competition. The market hall was opened in 1911 after two years of construction and has become an important trading facility in the center of Sofia. By the end of the 1940s, the city council of Sofia approved around 170 shops and stalls in the Sofioter Markthalle, rents and the range of goods were strictly regulated. After the 1950s, the interior of the hall was significantly changed. The market hall was closed in 1988 for a major renovation and reopened in 2000 after its modernization. In the basement of the market halls, remains of the Roman fortress wall of Serdica have been uncovered and can be viewed.
The Israeli construction company Aschtrom has invested 7 million US dollars in the modernization of the market hall and holds 75% of the central market hall and the city of Sofia the remaining 25%. The then Mayor of Sofia, Stefan Sofijanski, was charged in 2004 with the partial sale of the market halls to the Aschtrom company and three other sales , as he had acted to the detriment of the city of Sofia. The process dragged on until 2006, since he had interim immunity as a member of parliament, but was then finally concluded with an acquittal.
Around 1000 people work in the market hall, and the trading facilities are spread over three floors. Food, clothing, jewelry and other items are offered at the 134 stalls and shops in the market hall. There are cafes and restaurants on the first floor, which is designed as a gallery.
Web links
- 360 ° panorama inside the market hall
- 360 ° panorama in front of the main entrance to the market hall: [1] , [2] , [3]
- historical photos of the central market hall
Coordinates: 42 ° 42 ′ 0 ″ N , 23 ° 19 ′ 18 ″ E