Egypt has reopened one of the world’s oldest synagogues and home to the most significant single trove of Jewish manuscripts.

The Ben Ezra synagogue reopened last week after a decade of restoration work, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA).

Constructed in the 12th century, the synagogue was rebuilt in 1889 and restored previously in 1982. It was named after Abraham ibn Ezra, a Jewish figure who authored various biblical commentaries during the golden age of Spanish Judaism.

The site has been visited by distinguished Jewish figures throughout history, including Moses Maimonides, one of the most influential Jewish philosophers. Maimonides lived close to the synagogue and worshipped there. The site of the synagogue is believed by some to be where the biblical prophet Moses prayed to God.

The synagogue was also where the single most important selection of Jewish medieval manuscripts was found in the late 19th century, according to the Cambridge University Library, where the documents, known as the Cairo Geniza, are now kept.

The building has basilica-style architecture as it was once a church, according to the ministry.

Its latest restoration — completed by the Drop of Milk Association, an organization that seeks to preserve Egypt’s Jewish heritage — required treatment to protect ceilings, stones and provide insulation.

Egypt’s MOTA has worked to restore several buildings and take on conservation projects in the last few years, said Louise Bertini, executive director of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE).

Egypt’s Jewish population exceeded 80,000 people in 1948, but only about a dozen Jews remain in the country today.

The restoration efforts are largely to improve tourism, according to Bertini. “There’s always an effort to open up new sites or make a current site more accessible,” she said.

Egypt has however come under intense criticism for razing large parts of old Cairo to make way for development projects.

Historic tombs in the oldest parts of capital, called the City of the Dead, are being demolished to make way for roads. Egyptian media reported in June that President Abel Fattah al-Sisi had requested the relocation of graves to a new burial site, the Cemetery of the Immortals. The move was met with indignation from historians and activists on social media, who saw it as the destruction of Egypt’s heritage and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【犹太教堂】yóutài jiàotáng synagogue the house of worship and communal center of a Jewish congregation

【愤慨】fènkǎi indignation anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean

世界上最古老的犹太教堂之一重新开放了。位于埃及的这座教堂藏有最珍贵的犹太手稿。

据埃及旅游和文物部（MOTA）称，经过十年的修复工作，本•埃兹拉犹太教堂上周重新开放。

该教堂建于12世纪，1889年重建，1982年进行了修复。教堂以亚伯拉罕•伊本•埃兹拉命名，他是西班牙犹太教黄金时代的代表人物，著有多部圣经注释。

历史上许多杰出的犹太人都曾来过这里，包括最有影响力的犹太哲学家摩西•迈蒙尼德。迈蒙尼德住在犹太会堂附近，并在那里做礼拜。一些人认为，犹太会堂是《圣经》中先知摩西向上帝祈祷的地方。

剑桥大学图书馆称，19世纪末在这个会堂发现了最重要的中世纪犹太手稿。

埃及旅游和文物部说，这座建筑是一座教堂，因此采用了大殿式建筑风格。

最近一次修复工作是由旨在保护埃及犹太遗产的组织 “一滴奶协会”完成的。

美国埃及研究中心执行主任路易丝•贝尔蒂尼说，一滴奶协会在过去几年中修复了几座建筑，并承担了一些保护项目。

1948 年，埃及的犹太人口超过了8万，但如今只有数十名犹太人留在埃及。

贝尔蒂尼认为，修复工作主要是为了改善旅游业。她说：“我们一直在努力开放新遗址，或者让现有遗址更加游客友好。”

然而，埃及因夷平开罗老城的大片土地为开发项目让路而广受批评。

首都最古老地区的历史古墓（被称为“亡灵之城”）正在拆除，为道路建设让路。埃及媒体6月报道称，阿卜杜勒•法塔赫•塞西总统已要求将古墓迁移到新墓地 —— 不朽墓地。

此举在社交媒体上引起了历史学家和活动家的愤慨，他们认为这是对埃及遗产和联合国教科文组织世界遗产的破坏。

(Translated by Debra)