One of Egypt’s oldest synagogues, the Ben Ezra Synagogue, was inaugurated by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly last week after extensive restoration work on the historical building was completed in July. It is named after Jewish scholar and philosopher Abraham Ben Ezra, who fled Spain during the Middle Ages and spent part of his life in Egypt. The restoration is part of a national project for rehabilitating Historic Cairo according to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. “Once a hub for Jewish celebrations, gatherings, and prayers in Egypt, the Ben Ezra Synagogue has transformed into a tourist attraction after the majority of the Jewish community left in the 1950s,” according to dailynewsegypt.com. In 2020, Alexandria’s Eliahu Hanavi synagogue was reopened after restoration.

Source: Daily News Egypt September 03, 2023 17:53 UTC