Spanish Synagogue, Synagogue in Josefov district, Prague, Czech Republic
The Spanish Synagogue features a central dome rising above a square floor plan, with rich Moorish-style decorations covering the interior walls.
Built in 1868 on the site of the Old School, the Spanish Synagogue served as a warehouse for confiscated Jewish property during Nazi occupation.
The permanent exhibition within the synagogue documents the history of Czech and Moravian Jews from the 18th century to the present day.
The synagogue welcomes visitors daily from 9:00 to 16:30 in winter months and until 18:00 during summer, with reduced prices for students.
The synagogue houses winter prayer hall displays over 6,000 silver artifacts, primarily manufactured by Prague craftsmen through the centuries.
Location: Prague 1
Location: Josefov
Inception: 1868
Architects: Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann, Josef Niklas
Official opening: 1868
Architectural style: Moorish Revival architecture, functionalism, historicism
Address: Dušní ulice, Staré Město, Praha
Website: http://jewishmuseum.cz/en/explore/sites/spanish-synagogue
GPS coordinates: 50.09036,14.42083
Latest update: May 27, 2025 13:12
The neo-Moorish architecture developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by European interest in oriental forms. This architectural movement combines Western building elements with Moorish decorative motifs: horseshoe arches, carved arabesques, geometric mosaics, and ornate stuccoes. This stylistic synthesis appears in a variety of structures, from places of worship to private residences, theaters, and city fortifications. The collection gathers representative examples from across Europe and beyond. In Marseille, the Alcazar Grand Theatre has displayed a façade decorated with oriental patterns since 1857. The Great Synagogue of Brussels, inaugurated in 1878, demonstrates the adoption of this style in Belgian religious architecture. In Germany, Drachenburg Castle near Bonn incorporates Moorish elements into a late 19th-century villa. The movement also reaches unexpected locations: Brighton’s Royal Pavilion blends Indian and Islamic influences for a British royal seaside residence, while rural farms in Hälsingland, Sweden, include ornaments inspired by this orientalist trend. From Pena Palace overlooking Sintra to the Justo Sierra Synagogue in Mexico city, these buildings exemplify the international spread of an architectural style that profoundly marked its period.
Prague features historical monuments from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The medieval center includes the Old Town Square with its astronomical clock. The royal castle overlooks the city from its hill. Charles Bridge connects the two banks of the Vltava. Religious buildings, museums, and theaters illustrate Gothic, Baroque, and modern architecture.
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