Historic Alexandrian synagogue to be restored

CAIRO - 6 September 2017: The head of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Authority, Saeed Helmy, confirmed to Egypt Today on Wednesday that the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria will be restored and repaired.

However, Helmy declined to provide further details about the project’s funding and the organization that will carry out the repairs.

The synagogue was built in 1354. It used to invite thousands of worshippers before Egyptian Jews moved out of the country since the declaration of Israel as a state.

Located in Nabi Daniel Street, The synagogue was later damaged and fell into disrepair; hence the ceiling of the upper floor has crumpled.

Alexandria used to be the home for over 25,000 Jews. Today the Alexandria Jewish community currently has a few senior citizens.

The synagogue was previously damaged during the French invasion of Egypt in 1798, but was reconstructed in 1850 through contributions given by Mohamed Ali; however it was closed in 2012 for security reasons.