HOURVA SYNAGOGUE
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A symbol of the Jewish quarter, the Hourva synagogue ("ruins" in Hebrew) was inaugurated in 2010 after 7 years of work, with the financial support of Baron de Rothschild. It was rebuilt on the site of two defunct synagogues. The first, founded in 1721, was demolished a few years later and lay in ruins for over 140 years. Restored in 1864, the second building became Jerusalem's main synagogue for Ashkenazi Jews. It was destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948. For the next thirty years or so, the synagogue lay in ruins. In 1977, the city erected a memorial arch on its site and, in 2000, the government approved a plan to rebuild it.
Inside. After passing through the three iron gates, you arrive at a huge hall with a stone dome 24 m high. The most striking feature is the Aron Hakodesh, the cupboard where the sacred books are kept, in the middle of the Eastern Wall. Around the Aron are woodcuts, and to its right is the Hazan's lectern. Light enters the room through 12 windows at the base of the dome. The tour takes you down to the basement, where miqvaot (ritual baths) from the Second Temple period have been discovered. From the towers, a terrace offers a splendid view of the old city.
The Minaret of Discord. The minaret of a small mosque stands right next to the synagogue. Right in the middle of the Jewish quarter, it gave rise to an interminable trial. You won't want to miss it.
