Behind the classical and Byzantine-inspired façade of this elegant, landmark building are rooms where judicial history has played out.
The Sofia Court House (Sadebna Palata, or Palace of Justice) is the city’s grand judicial epicenter and a commanding piece of eclectic architecture. Gaze up at its ornate cornice and limestone portico and admire its intriguing design. As the home of Sofia’s courtrooms since 1940, the courthouse has a fascinating history that has involved many momentous trials and dramatic events.
View the Sofia Court House from across the street to take in the building’s immense size and solemn design. Those with an interest in architecture will note its eclectic detailing in the building’s white limestone façade. You’ll see the portico’s 12 symmetrical columns and five large gateways, which are the building’s classical features. Instead of a baluster, however, the Sofia Court House has a fourth floor and a magnificent cornice. Note the Roman and Byzantine-style ornamentation on the building’s doors and windows.
Designed in the 1920s by Nikola Lazarov and Pencho Koychev, the Sofia Court House was the city’s first structure in the monumental style. The Bulgarian National Bank and the Largo are two more notable examples of this type of architecture. Walk around the building, which takes up an entire city block, and imagine the different trials and hearings that go on every day in the 24 courtrooms located inside.
Note the bronze lions that flank the courthouse’s main entrance. Political protesters have targeted this façade on more than one occasion, with demonstrators inundating the building with tomatoes and painting red clown’s noses on the lions as an act of protest.
While the Sofia Court House is largely inaccessible to the public, you can admire the building from the outside at any time of the day. Add the Sofia Court House to your walking tour around Sofia’s historic downtown and see neighboring buildings, including the Sveta Nedelya Church, Sveta Petka Church and the Church of St. George. The City Garden and the National Archaeological Museum are also nearby. The courthouse is a few minutes’ walk south from Sofia’s main metro station, Serdika.
