Ben Ezra Synagogue
Ben Ezra Synagogue located deep in the winding alleys of Coptic Cairo, and oldest surviving synagogue, it is considered "A prayer place for the Jews", Ben Ezra Synagogue also known as (Shamaain), it was originally a Christian church that the Copts had to sell to the Jews in 882A.D in order to pay the annual taxes imposed by the Muslim rulers of the time, and therefore Abraham Ben Ezra, who came from Jerusalem during the reign of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, bought the church for the sum of 20,000 dinars, It is believed that the site of the Synagogue where the box of the Baby Moses was found.
Numerous restorations and renovations were made over the centuries, and the present building dates from 1892. It is a faithful reconstruction of the original, which had collapsed, it was constructed in the shape of a rectangular basilica, It is consisting of 2 floors, the 1st floor dedicated to the men while the 2nd is dedicated to the women.
The first floor rectangular in shape, measuring 17m in length and 11.3m wide. It is divided into 3 parts, the largest being the middle one (4.75 m in width), these parts are divided by steel bars painted like marble color.
There is a platform located in front of the sanctuary, where the rabbi stands to read the Torah. The lector platform is in an octagonal shape and is made of marble, there are 2 rooms on each side of the Holy Ark on the 1st floor you can see it clearly on the side halls with patterns such as, rectangles, star patterns and pentagonal patterns.
Ben Ezra Synagogue often referred to as the El-Geniza Synagogue, Geniza being Hebrew for ‘storage room’ and in the 19th century, sacred Hebrew manuscripts were found stored there. The collection widely known as the ’Cairo Geniza‘, gave significant insight into how the Jewish
community was dealing with past Islamic leaders, as well as several interpretations of the Torah.
when you visit old cairo do not miss this honorable chance to visit Ben Ezra Synagogue, hunging church, Abu Serga Church, it is a spiritual excursions you have to try.
