Bulgaria | Sofia's Arabic Neighbourhood & Zenski Pazar
The morning light was crisp and clear as my friend and I travelled from Blagoevgrad, with Vitosha’s snow capped peaks gleaming in the distance to Sofia. Having already explored many of Sofia’s historical highlights, this time we ventured into one of the city’s most vibrant and spice filled neighbourhoods, Car Simeon. Better known to locals as Tsar Simeon Street, or more affectionately, “Arab Street”. This neighbourhood of Sofia reveals a different kind of story, and one that is told through scent, flavour, and cultural fusion.
Tsar Simeon Street weaves through what was once Üçbunar, Turkish for “three wells”, a working class district shaped in the late 19th century by relocated Jewish, Macedonian, and Thracian communities following Bulgaria’s liberation. With its meandering cobbled lanes and turn of the century buildings, the area was once known for its country of misery reputation, yet, like the city itself, it has evolved, layer by layer, into something far more textured and alive.
Fast forward to today, and the street vibrates with life. Signs boasting names like Baghdad, Erbil, and Jenin mark a bustling mix of Syrians, Palestinians, Iraqis, Kurds, Turks, and local Bulgarians. Together, they bring Middle Eastern grocery shops, halal butchers, fragrant bakeries, and colourful spice shops to the heart of Sofia.
There’s a distinct feeling of being transported to the Middle East as you roam the lanes of Car Simeon, where the air is thick with the scents of Arabic spices. Small store owners line the old cobbled lanes, selling rice by the scoop, a dazzling variety of spices, flax and sunflower seeds, and other food staples by weight. Arabic bakeries serve up fresh, piping hot pita bread sprinkled with za’atar and other regional spices, while halal butchers offer a familiar welcome to regulars.
Barbershops carry on the old craft of shaving with the flick of a straight razor, a practice that’s part performance, part tradition. Handmade Arabic soaps sit in baskets near doorways, exuding heavenly scents and a texture so smooth, it’s almost silk.
Hookahs, an ornamental oriental tobacco pipe with a long, and flexible tube that draws the smoke through water contained in a bowl, leaning in corners of shops, with their elegant curves telling tales of distant lands and shared stories.
This Middle Eastern influenced neighbourhood continues to grow, with increasing numbers of immigrants finding both refuge and opportunity in Bulgaria. Here, locals haggle over vibrant textiles and fresh produce, while echoes of the Ottoman past mingle with the rhythm of modern life. It’s a place where history lingers in the air, with every alley shop offering a story, whether folded into freshly baked pita or packed into jars brimming with vibrant, fragrant spices.
Let’s take a stroll through this aromatic maze, where Bulgaria’s cultural layers unfold like a rich tapestry. Yet, this multicultural interweaving is no modern day curiosity. Sofia’s Arab presence stretches back centuries to the Ottoman period, when Arab merchants travelled through the empire, infusing its cities with language, flavour, and craft.
Sofia itself was a major waypoint on the caravan trade routes. By the 16th century, it boasted dozens of mosques, libraries, bathhouses, and one of the largest covered markets in the Balkans, the grand bedesten. Today’s spice shops are contemporary echoes of that once vast network, still stocked with cumin, cardamom, saffron, dried dates, nuts, and fragrant teas.
Migration continued long after the Ottoman era, particularly from Syria and Iran. In the 1990s, Sofia welcomed a wave of Syrian families, students, merchants, and entrepreneurs, some of whom established branches of beloved Damascus and Aleppo shops, forming vibrant new supply chains from the Levant to the Balkans.
According to local sources, around 34,000 Arabs now live in Bulgaria, many as long term residents and small business owners. These quiet entrepreneurs often reinvest in Sofia’s ageing buildings, favouring subtle community contribution over flashy display.
We stopped by one of the many pita shops and found warm samoon, a type of Iraqi flatbread that’s a staple in the region’s cuisine, fresh from the oven. Nearby, halal butchers, many operated by Turkish-Bulgarian families, continue to serve a loyal mix of Middle Eastern and local customers, a testimony to the neighbourhood’s enduring cultural tapestry.
As you walk these streets, Sofia’s layered identity reveals itself. Barbers with razors share the footpath with mechanics and cultural cafés. Tucked nearby is the Sofia Synagogue, built in 1909, a remnant of the once thriving Jewish quarter and a marker of the city’s plural past. The blend of Bulgarian, Jewish, Ottoman, Arab, and Roma influences is striking. The Roma, an ethnic group with roots in northern India, began migrating to Europe over 3,000 years ago and are now among the most widely dispersed minorities across the continent, including in Bulgaria. Together, these communities have shaped this neighbourhood into what it is today, not an ordinary quarter, but a living microcosm of centuries of migration, trade, resilience, and reinvention.
With the taste of warm samoon still lingering on my tastebuds, we decided it was time to sit and enjoy a proper meal. The neighbourhood’s aromatic pull was irresistible, every corner seemed to offer something spiced, sizzling, or steeped in history.
We’d heard of a much loved local figure, Fredi Benjamin, an Iraqi Catholic who fled Baghdad in 2001 and opened what has become one of Arab Street’s most iconic eateries, Ashurbanipal Restaurant. His dishes, gently adapted for the Bulgarian palate, with less heat, and more vegetables, have earned him a loyal following, with patrons travelling from as far as Plovdiv and Varna just to dine at his table. Naturally, we were curious. But so was half the city, it seemed, the restaurant was packed with lunchtime diners and showed no signs of slowing.
Still surrounded by the richness and spice laden air, we decided to continue our search, determined to satisfy our tastebud’s growing appetite for Arabic flavours.
That’s when we stumbled upon Diwan Iraqi Restaurant, tucked on a quiet corner not far from the heart of the neighbourhood.
With a simple setting, a short blackboard menu, and tables filled with happy, satisfied diners, Diwan offered no frills, just seriously delicious food at exceptional value.
We ordered hummus that was, without exaggeration, the best I’ve ever eaten, velvety smooth, rich with tahini, and drizzled with olive oil. A plate each of chicken biryani rice arrived next, its fragrant spices layered gently rather than boldly hot, and a side of orchha vegetables stewed in a hearty tomato base added a comforting warmth to the meal.
We finished with a glass of traditional Arabic tea, delicately perfumed and perfectly calming.
There was something quietly delightful about enjoying this meal in the middle of Sofia, surrounded by a swirl of languages, histories, and cultures, all interwoven in this seemingly unassuming pocket of the city. Here, lunch wasn’t just lunch, it was a deeper invitation to understand how people, place, and food come together to nourish something much more than the body.
With contented tummies and hearts just as content, we stepped back out into the afternoon. The warmth of the meal lingered, both in flavour and feeling, as the streets around us continued to breathe with energy. Shopkeepers called out to passersby, wheels clicked over the cobblestones, and the unmistakable scent of ground cumin floated on the breeze.
This neighbourhood, while known for the sensory sights and scents of Arab Street, is perhaps best known for being home to Sofia’s largest and busiest bazaar, Zhenski Pazar (BG - Женски пазар), affectionately known in English as the Ladies’ Market. Just a short walk from the heart of Car Simeon, this 140 year old marketplace is a sensory journey in its own right, and well worth the visit.
The market began in the late 19th century, not long after Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, and it quickly established itself as the most prominent and influential trading centre in Sofia. What started as a few women selling fresh produce has now grown into a sprawling marketplace that reflects the evolution of Bulgaria’s urban and social fabric.
Stalls of all kinds line the wide pedestrian zone, overflowing with seasonal fruit and vegetables sourced from surrounding villages, freshly baked breads, fresh fish, fresh tangy white brined cheese (sirene), cured meats, and an impressive selection of local wines, all coming together with stalls of dried herbs, seeds, and spices that echo the aromas of nearby Arab Street. It's not uncommon to see vendors blending Middle Eastern saffron with Bulgarian sweet paprika or Anatolian sumac with local dried dill, culinary cross pollination at its best.
Zhenski Pazar is more than a food bazaar; it’s a treasure trove of local life. Handmade Bulgarian pottery with traditional red and ochre glazes, embroidered blouses, folkloric clothing, and household merchandise, chunky woollen socks, and locally woven shawls and blankets all speak to the enduring artisanal traditions of the Balkans.
And then there are the more unexpected touches, plumbing supplies next to honey jars, spare parts for household appliances, and the odd tourist stall selling rose oil soaps, fridge magnets, and folkloric trinkets. It’s chaotic and charming in equal measure, a bazaar that doesn’t try to be tidy or curated, but instead embraces the beautiful jumble of everyday life.
The market's name, Ladies’ Market, comes from its original stallholders, exclusively women. For decades, it was a place where rural and urban women alike could make an independent living. However, after a comprehensive review and revitalisation in 2014 aimed at making the space more inclusive and appealing to both locals and visitors, vendors of all kinds now share in the selling of produce and handmade wares. Covered stalls, better signage, and cultural events have transformed the area into a more vibrant, welcoming part of the city’s everyday rhythm.
Of all the local stalls, it was the pottery and woollen goods that truly caught my eye. Tucked close by a stall selling warm pastries was a collection of textiles that felt like an ode to Bulgaria’s rural soul. Bundles of thick, handspun yarn lay in rich, earthy tones, charcoal, chestnut, grey, and beige, with the occasional bright burst of orange, bright red, or vibrant blue. It was yarn with texture and purpose, sold by the yard and destined to become socks, shawls, and winter blankets thick enough to ward off a mountain chill.
A woman with hands seasoned by decades of knitting held up a pair of patterned woollen socks, proudly explaining the design passed down from her grandmother. Next to the wool, a spread of handmade pottery, that spoke of utility and beauty rolled into one. These weren’t just objects for display; they were pieces of daily life, practical and personal.
Leaving Zhenski Pazar through the main entrance, we wandered through a series of laneways in search of ingredients from the Asian shops. With New Year’s Eve the next day, my friend had plans to prepare something special for us both. A little searching, a few familiar ingredients, and with bags in hand from two well stocked Asian shops tucked within the Arab neighbourhood, we made our way back to the car, satisfied and smiling.
Out on the open road heading south toward Blagoevgrad, the sky began its quiet performance. The late afternoon light spilled across the landscape in breathtaking streaks of burnt orange, dusky mauve, soft rose pink, and deepening indigo, a painter’s sky, if ever there was one. As the sun slipped behind the horizon and twilight took over, a delicate crescent Moon rose to light our way, suspended in a clear winter sky.
It was one of those days that settles deeply into your memory, unassuming, rich with discovery, and filled with moments that stitch themselves quietly into the fabric of your travel story. A day spent not just walking through markets or eating delicious food, but soaking in the layers of Bulgaria’s cultural heart, one spice scented street at a time.
The following day, New Year’s Eve, I found myself in the kitchen, helping my friend create a fusion of flavours that could only come from the unique combination of an Aussie woman and a Finnish woman in Bulgaria.
Ingredients in hand from the Arabic spice markets and a few treasures from the Asian stores, we set about crafting a celebratory Korean inspired lunch, a one bowl serving for each of us. It was a meeting of tastes, cultures, and creativity, prepared with care, curiosity, and more than a little laughter.
This is what happens when you travel with an open heart: flavours mingle, traditions blend, and something new is created, not just in the kitchen, but in friendship too.
Astrologically, Sofia met me with a strong Mars line and a moderate Pluto line, a powerful pairing that stirred a deep drive to explore, to learn, and to uncover the city's layered history. These influences brought a quiet intensity, urging me to go beyond the surface and feel the enduring stories etched into the streets.
A gentle Jupiter touch brought lightness and joy, helping to balance the weight of reflection with small, golden moments, shared meals, quiet awe, and unexpected delight.
Layered into this were three paran influences, each adding emotional depth. The Venus/Mars paran encouraged passionate engagement; Saturn/Neptune offered structure for spiritual insight and imagination; and the tender Moon/Neptune paran opened a soft receptivity to the atmosphere, drawing me into Sofia’s soulful stillness.
Together, these energies didn’t just shape what I saw, they deepened how I felt. They invited me to experience Sofia not only as a traveller, but as a witness, walking with an open heart through a city that continues to evolve through beauty, resilience, and time.
As this sixth chapter of my Soul Travel journey through Bulgaria unfolds, I find myself once more in Sofia, a capital that quietly reveals its depth through scent, story, and spirit. This time, the city welcomed me through the vibrant heart of its Arabic neighbourhood, where spices filled the air and cultural threads from across continents wove themselves into daily life. At Zhenski Pazar, I wandered among fresh produce, handmade wares, and echoes of Bulgaria’s enduring village soul. And to close the year, a New Year’s Eve lunch, simple, flavourful, and shared, became a celebration of friendship, creativity, and connection. It set a gentle, heartfelt tone for the coming year: to travel with curiosity, to savour the in between moments, and to remain open to the beauty that rises from the most unexpected of places.
Until next time.
I invite you to continue reading about my time in Bulgaria in the other blogs under the country: Bulgaria | A Balkan Beauty.
Thank you for taking the time to read Bulgaria: Sofia’s Arabic Neighbourhood & Zenski Pazar.
This blog is one of many in my Soul Travel series, where I share personal experiences from my journeys across the world, reflecting on the experiences that have enriched my life and deepened my understanding of the world’s diversity. Travelling to new places awakens the senses in unexpected ways, offering reflections that shape not just our outer journey but also our inner landscape.
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