The Synagogue Building

The truth is that the building has gone through several alterations along its history, although it preserves its original state to a great extent. In fact, in one of the houses separating the Synagogue from the wall, Mudejar arches and plasterwork from the same period have been found, which makes us think they could have been remains of the buiding. 

From Judíos Street, one can access the Synagogue of Córdobathrough a small courtyard, from which the inside of the building can be reached through a diminished round arch. Once inside, we are in a small rectangular hall, and on its eastern side, adapted to the layout of the street, there is a small stairway leading us to the second floor, where the so-called Tribuna de las Mujeres(Women’s Platform) is. We enter the almost seven-square-metre Prayer Hall through a lintelled door. 

On the southern wall,in the Tribuna de las Mujeresthree wide windows are opened. The side ones have elevated round arches, whereas the central one is lintelled and is decorated with plasterwork in its angles. The three openings are framed by rectangles with Hebrew legends and whose characters were golden over a white background and red over blue background. Over them, there is a decorative strip, of which we do not preserve the inscriptions that framed it. Crowning the wall there are five light openings, all of them with round arches. 

The eastern wall is unique as it has a small 2.8 metres deep hall. The access is lintelled and there is a blind round arch over it. Inside, two small cupboards stand out, where the sacred rolls of the law, as well as the Torah, were kept. The round arch is framed by a richly decorated alfiz, and this is in turn flanked by two big plaques decorated with geommetrical motifs, whose bases supported inscriptions, most of which are lost. 

Thenorthern wall of the Synagogueof Córdobais the best preserved nowadays,  and it is covered by a rich decoration of plasterwork. As well as the southern wall, it is crowned by five round openings which provide the hall with natural light. Right below it, a strip goes along horizontally, which has small friezes with inscriptions on both sides. Below them, there are three blind arches; the ones on the sides are round arches, and the central one is lintelled, like in the southern wall. The skirting board used as a base for the wall, as well as the rest of the sides of the hall, is not preserved. 

Thewestern wall has a small alcove in which the pulpit of the rabbi was probably located. The alcove was covered by an exceptional lobed pointed arch, suspended between corbels. It is framed by a richly decorated alfiz, which is in turn covered by a small frieze with an incomplete inscription of the Song of Songs. In the last restoration, they found, on the wall with an arch inside, a cross painted in black and red which probably dates back to the time when the buiding was used as a hospital. If you wish to know the Synagogueof Córdoba do not hesitate to hire one of our guided tours around the city. We are experts in the interpretation of the historical heritage from Córdoba. If you have chosen to do sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a high quality option, choose ArtenCórdoba.

Texto: J.A.S.C.