Entrance to Kraków's Jewish Museum

©Filip Stańczyk/Lonely Planet

Old Synagogue

Kraków


This synagogue, dating from the 15th century, is the oldest surviving Jewish house of worship in Poland. During WWII, it was plundered and partly destroyed by the Germans, but later restored. The prayer hall, complete with a reconstructed bimah (raised platform at the centre where the Torah is read) and the original aron kodesh (the niche in the eastern wall where Torah scrolls are kept), houses an exhibition of important liturgical objects.

The exterior dates from the 16th century, when the synagogue was destroyed by fire and rebuilt.


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