Cairo
Ben Ezra Synagogue
Egypt's most historic synagogue
Coptic Cairo quarter
Cairo,
Nearest Train: Mari Girgis.
Phone: +20 (0)2 285 4509 (Tourist Information)
Fax: +20 (0)2 285 4363 (Tourist Information)
The exodus of Jews out of Egypt in 1956 and 1967 left Cairo's 26 synagogues derelict. This historical synagogue might have disappeared altogether if not for the efforts of a few who maintained it until foreign and Egyptian governments provided funding for its repair. Today it is fully restored, though you won't find any services because there is no rabbi. The synagogue claims to be built on the site where pharaoh's daughter found Moses in the bulrushes and Mary centuries later bathed Jesus. A temple of the Prophet Jeremiah is said to have stood here, and he himself is rumoured to buried under the foundation. In 1896 the Ginesa documents were found in the synagogues storerooms, offering deep insights into the social, political and economic life of Jews in Fatamid Cairo.
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