1914 photo of an Ashkenazic synagogue in Sarajevo

Sarajevo Synagogue ( Bosnian: ''Sinagoga u Sarajevu'' / Синагога у Сарајеву) is

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

's primary and largest synagogue and is located on the south bank of the river

Miljacka ), Šeher-Ćehaja Bridge, Careva ćuprija, Latin Bridge (aka Principov most), Ćumurija Bridge, Drvenija Bridge, Čobanija Bridge, Festina lente bridge, Skenderija Bridge (aka Ajfelov most), Suada and Olga bridge (aka Vrbanja most) , custom ...

. It was constructed in 1902 and remains the only functioning synagogue in Sarajevo today.

History

A Sephardi synagogue (also known as ''Sijavuš-pašina daira'' or ''Velika Avlija'') is known to have been built in 1581 with the donation of Turkish Beylerbey Sijamush

Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitar ...

to help members of the Jewish community in Sarajevo who were poor. By the end of the 16th century, the space encompassing ''Velika Avlija'' was turned into the first synagogue. The building burned down in both 1679 and 1778, and was rebuilt each time. It now serves as a Jewish museum. Next door is the New Synagogue (''Novi Hram'') serving as an art gallery owned by the Jewish community of Sarajevo. Ashkenazi Jews arrived in Sarajevo during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 19th century. The Sarajevo Ashkenazi synagogue was designed by Karel Pařík and built in 1902. The Sephardic community constructed their own '' Il Kal Grande'' synagogue of 1932, acknowledged as the largest and most ornate synagogues in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. It was devastated by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

in 1941 during World War II, but the Ashkenazi synagogue was able to escape destruction. The

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

in the 1940s and the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

during the 1990s left fewer than 5,700 Jews in former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. The Jewish community, like the entire country, was once defined by its unique combination of eastern and western traditions. Populations of

Sephardi Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

and

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

peacefully co-existed with their Christian and Muslim neighbors in

and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Architecture

It was designed in the

Moorish Revival Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...

, which was a popular choice for synagogues in the empire. The synagogue has enormous arches with richly painted decorations. The high, ornate ceiling was highlighted by a ten-pointed star. Today the synagogue is confined to the women's galleries on the upper floor. At the entrance, a stone menorah commemorates the 400-year anniversary of the

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. The building was renovated in the 2000s.

References

External links

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ashkenazi Synagogue
(

International Student Travel Confederation The World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation was formed in 2006. It has a network of 5000 locations in 118 countries. The International Student Travel Confederation was a non-profit organisation founded in 1949 with a goal to secu ...

) {{coord, 43, 51, 23, N, 18, 25, 30, E, type:landmark_region:BA-BIH_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Religious buildings and structures in Sarajevo Synagogues in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ashkenazi synagogues Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Europe Buildings and structures in Sarajevo National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rebuilt buildings and structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina Synagogues completed in 1902 Moorish Revival synagogues Moorish Revival architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina Tourist attractions in Sarajevo

History

Architecture

See also

References

External links