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The Yu Aw Synagogue ( fa, کنیسای یوآو) is located in the Momanda neighbourhood of the old city of
International Survey of Jewish Monuments: The Yu Aw synagogue in Herat, Afghanistan
Former synagogues Synagogues in Afghanistan Buildings and structures in Herat Province {{asia-synagogue-stub
The Yu Aw Synagogue ( fa, کنیسای یوآو) is located in the Momanda neighbourhood of the old city of Herat
Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...
, in western Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The area was once known as ''Mahalla-yi Musahiya'', or the "Neighbourhood of the Jews". It is the only synagogue in Herat that has been preserved with most of its original characteristics, although it is currently in a state of disrepair. There is no definitive date of construction of the synagogue. When Israel was founded in 1948, the estimated 280 Jewish families that lived in Herat began leaving. Today, there are no Jews left in the city.
In 2020, Al Jazeera reported that part of the complex was restored by the local government in 2009. It is the only synagogue in Herat that has been preserved with most of its original features. Although badly damaged, it was recently converted into an infant school. There are 3 other synagogues in Herat, in a more advanced state of disrepair, two had been converted to schools and one to a mosque. Not far from the synagogue there is still a ''mikvah
Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity.
Most forms of ritual impurity can be purifi ...
'' (ritual bath) formerly called ''Hamman-e Yahudiha'', which has been converted into a hamman for Muslim men. There is also a Jewish cemetery that contains around 1,000 graves.
Description
The remains of the building on the east, north and south sides of thecourtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...
are now used as family housing. A room in the basement of the structure on the west side of the courtyard is used for housing by one of the employees of the Herat Department of Historic Monuments Preservation. The remainder of the building is in a precarious condition. Annette Ittig's report does not date the synagogue.
A preliminary survey carried out by Annette Ittig in 1998 notes that:
See also
*History of the Jews in Afghanistan
The history of the Jews in Afghanistan goes back at least 2,500 years. Ancient Iranian tradition suggests that Jews settled in Balkh, an erstwhile Zoroastrian and Buddhist stronghold, shortly after the collapse of the Kingdom of Judah in 587 ...
*Oldest synagogues in the world
Historic synagogues include synagogues that date back to ancient times and synagogues that represent the earliest Jewish presence in cities around the world. Some synagogues were destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site. Others wer ...
References
External links
Photographs
International Survey of Jewish Monuments: The Yu Aw synagogue in Herat, Afghanistan
Former synagogues Synagogues in Afghanistan Buildings and structures in Herat Province {{asia-synagogue-stub