Friedrich Grünanger, an Austrian architect, designed the synagogue for Sofia's mainly Sephardic Jewish community. Preparations began in 1903, and construction started on November 13, 1905. It opened on September 9, 1909, attended by King Ferdinand I. The article calls the style Moorish Revival and Byzantine Revival, with Vienna Secession elements and a Venetian-style facade.
It has Carrara marble columns, Venetian mosaics and woodcarving. The interior area is 659 square meters and the maximum height is 102 feet (31 m). The inner dome is about 75 feet (23 m) high, and the chandelier weighs 1.7 tonnes. Capacity is 1,170 in the infobox and about 1,300 in the text.
The Jewish Museum of History opened there on May 8, 1992. Rabbi Bechor Kachlon leads the Orthodox congregation.
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