Syria Trails › Places

Central Synagogue of Aleppo (al-Bandara)

الكنيس المركزي في حلب (البندرة)

One of the world's oldest synagogues, in the Bahsita quarter of old Aleppo, which for centuries kept the famous Aleppo Codex.

In the Bahsita quarter of old Aleppo stands the Central Synagogue, known locally as al-Bandara, one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Its earliest parts are thought to date from the Byzantine period, and ancient Hebrew inscriptions mark centuries of worship.

Aleppo had an old Jewish community active in trade and culture, and this synagogue was its religious centre: a large open courtyard with arcades and prayer halls in Aleppine stonework.

It is world-famous for having kept for centuries the Aleppo Codex, one of the oldest and most accurate complete manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, from the 10th century. The building was damaged in 1947, part of the codex was lost, and the remainder was later taken out of Syria. After most of Aleppo's Jews emigrated, the synagogue fell out of use. Part of the Ancient City of Aleppo World Heritage property.

Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.

For the visitor

Photos

Photos: Judith Feld — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Moritz Sobernheim (1872-1933) — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Herzfeld, Ernst — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Ernst Herzfeld — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Adler, Elkan Nathan, 1861-1946 — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)