Synagogue de la rue des Tournelles, Jewish sanctuary in Le Marais, Paris, France
The Synagogue of Rue des Tournelles is a Jewish house of worship in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, featuring a Romanesque-Byzantine facade with large arches and a rose window. Inside, a metal framework supports the structure, with a vaulted nave opening onto a semicircular apse that holds the Torah Ark.
Built in 1876 to welcome Jewish refugees fleeing the Alsace-Lorraine region after the Franco-Prussian War, the synagogue gained protected monument status in 1987.
The building reflects the blend of Sephardic traditions that developed here over time, though it originally served Ashkenazi worshippers. Visitors can sense this evolution through the prayer rituals and interior details they observe.
The synagogue sits on Rue des Tournelles in the Marais neighborhood and is accessible on foot from nearby metro stations. Visitors should plan ahead as tours and services follow set schedules.
The interior framework was engineered by Gustave Eiffel, the same person who designed Paris's famous tower, making this building an early example of steel construction in a religious setting. Few visitors realize the connection between this place of worship and one of the world's most recognized structures.
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