The Ben Ezra Synagogue is considered to be the oldest synagogue in the world and also the longest serving. A synagogue has stood on the site since at least the 9th century and served as the place of worship for Egypt’s Jewish community until a mass exodus to Israel in the 1950s. Throughout its history, the synagogue has been rebuilt.
The original building was torn down around 1012 after Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the destruction of all Jewish and Christian places of worship. The synagogue was rebuilt between 1025 – 1040 and then completely rebuilt one more time in the 1890s. Like nearly all of Egypt’s synagogues, Ben Ezra is a tourist attraction and museum today.
