HA-RAMBAN SYNAGOGUE

The Ramban Synagogue Click to open side panel for more information  is recognized as the oldest active synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem. Founded in 1267 CE by the preeminent medieval Catalan scholar, physician, and philosopher Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides, known as the Ramban), the sanctuary marks the revival of continuous Jewish community life in Jerusalem following the devastation of the Crusades.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem in 1267, the Ramban found a tiny, dispersed community and transformed a ruined house with marble pillars and a dome into a house of prayer. The architecture features distinctive pointed arches, cross-vaulted stone ceilings, and historic Roman/Byzantine-era support columns incorporated into the foundation.

In 1586, the Ottoman governor ordered the synagogue closed, and the premises were subsequently utilized as a grain storehouse and dye workshop for centuries. Following the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967—exactly 700 years after its founding—the site was excavated, restored, and rededicated. Today, it operates once again as an active house of prayer and study.