Ministry of Antiquities to restore Alexandrian synagogue

CAIRO – 8 July 2017: The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, also known as the Jewish Temple in Alexandria, is to be restored by the Ministry of Antiquities. The development plan for the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue will cost LE 40 million, according to Egypt Independent.

Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is a historic religious site in Alexandria, located in Nabi Daniel Street. It was built in 1355, but was bombed by the French during their invasion to Egypt in 1798.

It was rebuilt in 1850 with contributions from Ottoman ruler Mohammed Ali Pasha.

It is known as one of largest synagogues in the Middle East and one of the first synagogues in history.

A few months ago the ceiling of the synagogue collapsed, causing the temporary closure of the sacred temple.

The Ministry of Antiquities began to research and study the synagogue’s history to formulate a plan for the restoration of the temple, as stated by Head of the Islamic and Coptic Monuments department Saaed Helmy Ezzat to al-Masry al-Youm.

The restoration will start immediately after the approval from the board of directors of the ministry.

The ministry will bear the cost of the project, even though Article 30 of Law No.117 and Laws 3 and 61 state that the Jewish community should help contribute money to restore the temple.