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Houses of the Jerassi Brothers

- Angel Kanchev Street 4 -
The remarkable residential twin houses were built for the brothers Isaac and Joseph Jerassi. The one on the left belonged to Joseph and the one on the right to Isaac. Isaac was a doctor and dentist and Joseph a pharmacist. They were built in 1905 by the merchant Chaim Jerassi for two of his sons and were designed by the great Bulgarian architect . The houses, symmetrically and mirrored, were separated by a common garage, protruding inwards from the street. In it, the dentist Isaac Jerassi, a holder of a medal for bravery for his participation in the , fell victim to fascist nationalists that poisoned him with car gases. In the 1930s, he gained such a good name among the Sofia elite, that artists including actor and composer , came to his office to be treated. Everyone knew that until 8 o'clock in the morning the dentist received only poor people to treat them for free. Almost the entire city gathered at his funeral. His wife was the daughter of the famous Veliko Tarnovo merchant .
The house of Isaac Jerassi
His brother, the pharmacist Joseph Jerassi escaped from the gassed garage and during the , he emigrated to Israel. His house initially became partly state-owned, until it passed entirely into the possession of the Olympic Committee. Both brothers were relatives of the famous Austrian-born Bulgarian-American chemist, novelist, and playwright .
The house of Joseph Jerassi
Both buildings were built in the Art Nouveau style and although they are almost identical in design, they differ on certain points. The most striking difference is the color. Although they both have a gable, which is decorated with and , they are mirrored. The balcony, secured with a wrought iron railing, is located in the same location on the facade. On top of the windows on the second floor, you can see a segmental , with on both ends a hanging garland, and a in the middle. Above the , you'll be able to admire a pair of and on top of them a total of seven . Another festoon and medallion are placed above the main entrance doors, as well as a straight that's supported with two corbels, which are embellished with two hanging garlands.
Both building in the 70s