Ben Ezra Synagogue
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Ben Ezra Synagogue History
The Ben Ezra Synagogue, which sits just behind the Hanging Church and is said to be the site where the pharaoh’s daughter discovered the box containing baby Moses, is one of Egypt’s numerous amazing antiquities, which come from a variety of cultures and religions traditions, including Judaism. The synagogue has a rich history and is significant since it was formerly a church called El-Shamieen until Abraham Ben Ezra purchased it from the Copts in 882 AD for 20,000 dinars to cover the yearly taxes due during the rule of Emperor Ahmed InbTulun and converted it into a synagogue. The word “Synagogue” means in the ancient Greek language “The usual place that Jews gather to worship and receive religious teachings”. It was a place of pilgrimage for North African Jews and a holy location for massive festival celebrations.
Ben Ezra Synagogue Facts
It is the oldest and most significant Jewish temple in Egypt because, in the 19th century, a treasure containing thousands of priceless records detailing the history of Cairo’s community since the 11th century during the Middle Ages in Egypt was discovered in a hiding place for sacred books and worn-out Torah scrolls. These records are now kept in England at Cambridge University. The synagogue allegedly previously housed an original copy of the Old Testament. After the majority of the Egyptian Jewish population left in the 1950s as a result of the occupation of Palestine, the establishment of Israel, and the Free Officer’s Revolution, it is now regarded as a significant tourist destination.
Ben Ezra Synagogue Architecture
After the ancient temple collapsed, the current structure, which dates back to 1892, underwent major modifications. The basilica-style Ben Ezra Synagogue has two stores, the first floor for males and the second for women. A platform for Torah reading in the shape of an octagon made of marble is located directly in the middle of the main floor, which is split into three sections by steel bars. All of the ornamentation, including the star patterns, rectangles, and pentagonal patterns, dates to the Turkish era. There are also ottoman arabesque and a combination of Hatai and Roman ornamentation.
