This synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, was built in the first century CE.
Located in the medieval Christian district of Coptic Cairo, the Ben Ezra Synagogue is one of Cairo’s most prominent landmarks for Jews.
Is a long-established Jewish pilgrimage and prayer place.
Directions:
You may easily discover this charming and interesting part of Old Cairo by strolling through the Old district of Coptic Cairo, which is around 30 minutes from Downtown Cairo.
History:
Church of Saint Sergius and Bacchus is to the east of Ben-Ezra Synagogue and Church of Saint Barbara is to the west of the synagogue
For many centuries, this building served as a Coptic church, but it was sold by Patriarch Michael III to Ahmed Ibn Tulun in return for money.
As Cairo’s oldest synagogue, it held a large collection of important and helpful Jewish papers at the time of its construction.
On top of all that, it was supposed to be the site where baby Moses had been found, thus its moniker “Synagogue of the Palestinians.”
They were finally salvaged, and many of them may now be seen in Cambridge, England, where they serve as intellectual reading for young Jewish students in the region.
