Old Synagogue

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  • Address
    ul Szeroka 24, Kazimierz
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  • Phone
    012 422 0962
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At the southern end of ul Szeroka is the fine Old Synagogue, which dates back to the end of the 15th century, the oldest Jewish house of worship in the country. Damaged by fire in 1557, it was reconstructed in Renaissance style by the Italian architect Matteo Gucci.

It was plundered and partly destroyed by the Nazis but later restored. The prayer hall, complete with a reconstructed bimah (raised platform at the centre of the synagogue 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 liturgical objects; adjacent rooms are dedicated to Jewish traditions and art. Upstairs there's a photographic exhibit focusing on Jewish Kraków and the Holocaust.