Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo (Egypt)

Production period - UNKNOWN;Front Handwritten Text - CAIRO;Front Period - UNKNOWN;Category - Synagogues;Description - The vertical postcard depicts a photograph of the Ben Ezra Synagogue situated in Old Cairo. This Synagogue has a eventful story: According to one of the local legends, it is located on the site of where the box of Baby Moses was found. The Synagogue interior presents a basilical plan with a central nave scanned by marble columns. It is raised on two levels for religious reasons: the ground floor is reserved to men and the first floor is reserved to women. We can see the two principal centers of the Jewish liturgy in the Synagogue, namely the Hekhal and the Tevah. The Hekhal, called also Aron Kodesh is situated in the east, at the level of the Choir. It is a raised ornamental ark which contains the Sifrei Torah, the Torah scrolls. As we can see in the picture, the Ark is closed by finely-worked doors. On each of its two sides stand two wooden columns