Ben Ezra Synagogue, Cairo

The oldest remaining synagogue in Cairo, Ben Ezra Synagogue stands as the place where thousands of original medieval scrolls in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Judeo-Arabic language were discovered. According to legend, the synagogue sits on the site where Pharaoh's daughter found the ark with baby Moses. Other sources say the synagogue was originally a Coptic church which was sold to the Jews in 882 because of the high taxes Christians had to pay at the time to the Muslim rulers. The geniza (store room with manuscripts) was discovered in the 1890s during the reconstruction of the original building. Plan my trip to Cairo with suggested itineraries provided by Inspirock.