Córdoba Synagogue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Córdoba Synagogue |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Traditional Judaism |
| Rite | Sephardi |
| Status | Museum |
| Location | |
| Location | Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Synagogue |
| Architectural style | Moorish |
| Completed | 1315 |
The Córdoba Synagogue (Spanish: Sinagoga de Córdoba) is a very old building in the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba, Spain. It was built in 1315. This synagogue is quite small. Some people think it might have been a private synagogue for a rich person. Others believe it was part of a larger group of buildings, perhaps a yeshiva (a Jewish school) or a study hall. It might also have been the synagogue for a group of craftspeople, like a shoemakers' guild. The building is decorated in a special style called Mudéjar, which mixes Christian and Islamic art.
Contents
History of the Synagogue
After Jewish people were made to leave Spain in 1492, the synagogue was taken over by the government. It was then used as a hospital for people with rabies. Later, in 1588, a group of shoemakers bought the building. They used it as a meeting place and a small chapel. They even changed its patron saints to Crispin and Crispinian, who are the patron saints of shoemakers.
In 1885, the building was declared a National Monument. This meant it was important and needed to be protected. Since then, it has been restored many times. One big restoration happened in 1929. In 1935, Spain celebrated the 800th birthday of Maimonides. He was a very important Jewish thinker born in Córdoba. To honor him, the square where the synagogue stands was renamed Tiberias Square. During this celebration, a Jewish prayer service was held in the synagogue. It was the first time in 443 years that a Jewish prayer service happened openly with the government's permission.
Another restoration started in 1977. The building reopened in 1985 to celebrate Maimonides' 850th birthday. This synagogue is the only one in Córdoba that was not destroyed during difficult times for Jewish people. Today, it is no longer used for worship, but it is open for everyone to visit.
Synagogue Architecture
Building Rules
The way synagogues were built back then was often limited by rules from Christian leaders. These rules changed depending on where the synagogue was and if Jewish people had special rights in that area. Synagogues usually had to be smaller than Catholic churches. This was to show respect and humility. Sometimes, even if a king supported the Jewish community, local church leaders could still cause problems. For example, in 1250, Pope Innocent IV ordered the Bishop of Córdoba to stop Jewish people from building a synagogue that was too tall. People were upset about a new, large synagogue being built.
Courtyard
The Córdoba Synagogue has a gate on its eastern side. This gate leads into a small courtyard. The courtyard is a bit more than 25 square meters (about 270 square feet). The walls of the courtyard are not all the same length. The northern and western walls are about 5.5 meters (18 feet) long. The southern wall is only about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long. The eastern wall, where the gate is, is the longest at about 6 meters (20 feet). This makes the courtyard have an unusual, slanted shape. This shape probably comes from how the streets around it are laid out.
Entrance Hall
The main entrance to the synagogue is on the northern wall of the courtyard. It has three openings: a door in the middle and two windows on each side. Beyond this entrance is a hall. This hall is about 7 meters (23 feet) long on the northern side and 6 meters (20 feet) on the southern side. The western wall is 3 meters (10 feet) long, and the eastern wall is 3.4 meters (11 feet) long.
This room has a wooden staircase that goes up to the women's section. The entrance hall was used as a place to leave coats. It also had a basin for ritual washing, called a maskilta. The ceiling of this hall is made of wood and is about 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) high.
Prayer Hall
The prayer hall is the biggest room in the synagogue. However, it is still quite small compared to most buildings from that time. It is a bit rectangular, measuring about 6.5 by 7 meters (21 by 23 feet). The roof is very high for its size, reaching about 11.5 meters (38 feet) at its highest point. This tall roof is special, even for larger synagogues.
Women's Section
The women's section is a gallery located above the entrance hall. It has the same size and shape as the entrance hall. It's not clear if this section was part of the original building. Differences in the roof's structure suggest it might have been added later. The women's section has three wide arches that look down into the main prayer area. These arches are decorated with beautiful stucco designs and patterns. They also have Hebrew writing. The middle arch is different from the two outer ones. It has different decorations and is taller because it includes a doorway.
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Important Parts of the Synagogue
The hekhal (also called the Torah ark) is where the Torah scrolls were kept. It was placed on the eastern wall, which was a common practice. This wall is angled because it follows the street outside. It was decorated with detailed stucco work in the Mudejar style. One of the Hebrew writings in the synagogue mentions the hekhal. It says, "I will bow down before Your Holy hekhal...."
The second important part is the bimah. This was an elevated platform. It was likely in the center of the room, but it no longer exists. Benches for the people praying were placed along the walls of the room.
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The location of the hekhal was based on instructions from Maimonides. He was a very important Jewish scholar. In his book, he wrote that when building a synagogue, a hekhal should be built to hold the Torah scrolls. He said it should face the direction of prayer (towards Jerusalem). He also said a bimah should be in the center so everyone could hear the person reading the Torah or speaking to the community.
Ceiling and Light
The synagogue's ceiling is made of thin wooden panels. These panels are placed above thick wooden beams. This design hides the gabled tile roof. The wood panels and beams were decorated to make the building even more beautiful. The ceiling angles upward. This makes the prayer hall feel taller and more spacious. This design was common in Spanish synagogues.
Only the top floor of the synagogue gets natural light. This is because the synagogue was built in a neighborhood where houses were very close together. Three of the upper walls have windows for light. There are five windows on each of these three walls. The windows are about 0.6 meters (2 feet) wide and 1.5 meters (5 feet) high. The tops of the windows are shaped like classic arches. They might have had decorative screens at one time.
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Decorations and Writings
The Córdoba Synagogue has many decorations inspired by the Mudejar style. This style uses stucco panels, geometric shapes, and flower patterns. There are also Hebrew verses written around the windows. This is similar to the Ibn Shushan Synagogue in Toledo, Spain. The stucco panels were once painted with many colors. The writings inside the synagogue are mostly from the Psalms, other parts of the Bible, and piyyutim (religious poems).
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One important writing tells us about when the synagogue was built and who helped pay for it. It says: "This minor sanctuary has been refurbished by Yitzhak Mahab son of the wealthy Ephraim in the Hebrew year 5075 (1315 C.E.) may God remove curses from our nation and rebuild Jerusalem soon." This means the building was fixed up in 1315 CE. The hekhal (Torah ark) had a decorative band that praised the Temple in Jerusalem. It connected the synagogue to that holy place. It read: "I will bow down toward your holy hekhal and praise Your name for Your mercy and Your truth, for You have magnified Your word above all Your name...." (Psalms 138:2).
In the women's section, there is a verse that praises women: "Your neck is like the tower of David built with turrets" (Song of Songs 4:4). There were also several verses showing a longing for Jerusalem. One says: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; those who love you shall be blessed. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces" (Psalms 122:6–7). Many verses also showed a plea for help: "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me; for my soul trusts in You; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until these great troubles pass by" (Psalms 57:2).
See also
- Oldest synagogues in the world
- Other well-preserved synagogues from before the expulsion of Jews from Spain can be found in Híjar, Toledo (Ibn Shushan Synagogue and Synagogue of El Transito) and Tomar.
- In Spanish: Sinagoga de Córdoba para niños
