Ramban Synagogue, 13th-century synagogue in Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem, Israel

The Ramban Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish congregation in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, its building dating from about 1400 and set 3 m below street level. The prayer hall, roughly 21.5 by 6.7 by 7.3 m, is split into two aisles by four low columns with unadorned square capitals; a fifth column stands outside the southern entrance. The western entrance from Jewish Quarter Road passes through a study hall, and the eastern wall holds two Torah arks.

Tradition holds that Nachmanides founded a synagogue in 1267 on Mount Zion, not at this site; the building here dates from about 1400, when the congregation moved north into the Jewish Quarter. It was destroyed in 1474, rebuilt in 1475, and closed by the Ottoman governor in 1587. After the 1948 Jordanian siege it lay in ruins until it was rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1967.

The Ramban Synagogue is still an active place of worship where daily services and study sessions take place. Visitors can see how the space continues to serve the Jewish Quarter community in a direct and everyday way.

The entrance on the western side leads downward, so comfortable footwear is helpful when visiting. Because the interior is small, coming outside main prayer times gives more room to look around without disturbing worshippers.

The capitals inside the building come from an early Christian or Byzantine construction phase, meaning the structure was built using stones from a much older period. This kind of stonework is rare within the Old City walls and makes the interior look quite different from the surrounding buildings.