Szeged Synagogue, Jewish place of worship in Szeged, Hungary.
Szeged Synagogue is a large religious building in Szeged designed with Art Nouveau and Moorish architectural elements, featuring blue, gold, and ivory interior decorations throughout. The main prayer hall accommodates worshippers on both the floor level and in upper-level galleries.
The Jewish community, founded in 1791, outgrew its 1840s synagogue, and in 1900 received permission to build a new one. Lipót Baumhorn won the 1897 design competition; construction ran from 1900 to 1902 under builders Szilágyi János, Schaar Ede and Stark Vilmos. Chief rabbi Lőw Immánuel shaped the building's style, and it was renovated in 2017.
The dome's four pendentives carry Hebrew inscriptions naming the Tora, work and love of humanity, while the 24 columns of the drum stand for the hours of the day. Above the main entrance, stained glass shows the old synagogue with a boat moored before it, recalling the 1879 flood, beside the new building finished in 1902.
The synagogue stands at Jósika utca 10, a short walk from Szeged's centre. As of 2024 it serves both occasional religious use and functions as an events centre and concert hall, so opening times vary with the programme; check ahead before travelling. Visitors should dress modestly and keep quiet during services.
The Torah Ark's door is made of sittimwood from the banks of the Nile, the wood specified for Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings, and its hinges are shaped like the hyssop plant used in ancient Temple rites. The ark thus echoes the Holy of Holies.
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