Old New Synagogue
In Old New Synagogue once stood the Altneuschul, an Orthodox Jewish house of worship completed in 1270, making it Europe’s oldest active synagogue and the oldest surviving medieval twin-nave Gothic synagogue. Its construction represents early Gothic architecture in Prague and an enduring thread of Jewish life in the city, with a vestibule approached by nine steps and a double-nave interior supported by two central pillars. The entry’s tympanum bears twelve vines and twelve grape clusters—symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel—while the six bays house twelve narrow windows that historically contributed to descriptions of the building as dark, now illuminated by electric chandeliers. The synagogue was originally called the New or Great Synagogue and later known as the Old-New Synagogue as newer congregations arose in the 16th century; legends tie its stones to a Temple in Jerusalem, shaped “on condition” for future Messiah. …
AI-generated from open data and cross-checked, with review where noted. How we write narrations
🎧 Listen in WayWhisperOfficial website ↗
