Sephardic Synagogues of Africa + Asia
El-Ghriba Synagogue – Djerba, Tunisia
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The El-Ghriba Synagogue was built on the island of Djerba in Tunisia at the end of the nineteenth century, although the original structure that was built on the site was constructed in the sixth century C.E. The name “El-Ghriba” has significance in both Arabic and Hebrew; “El” means “The” in Arabic and “G-d” in Hebrew, while “Ghriba” means “miraculous” in Arabic. El-Ghriba Synagogue’s congregation is Mizrahi Jewish – a group of Sephardic Jews (an ethnic division originating from the Iberian Peninsula) from North Africa and Western Asia. Mizrahi Jews’ existence in Tunisia predates Roman rule of the nation and the dominance of Islam. The first Jews who came to Tunisia were allegedly a group of high priests, known as kohanim, who escaped from Jerusalem after the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C.E. The priestly refugees founded a village on Djerba known as Hara Sghira, or dighet (door) in Hebrew, referring to the alleged presence in the village of a door rescued from the First Temple. Another Jewish village in Tunisia, called Hara Kbira, is comprised of Jews who claim to have migrated from the Iberian Peninsula. The two Jewish communities united to form a unified Jewish society while coexisting with indigenous Tunisians and Muslim settlers. As a result, Djerban Judaism is a coalescence of myriad belief systems and ethnic groups, reflected in the design of the El-Ghriba Synagogue. Furthermore, the synagogue is especially significant for Jews because of its yearly ceremony of Lag Ba’omer. This festival attracts Jewish pilgrims internationally, celebrating a connection to one’s ancestors from Jerusalem.
FORMAL QUALITIES
The architecture of the El-Ghriba Synagogue is heavily influenced by the mosque architecture in Djerba. Both mosques and synagogues in Djerba are very simple in their exterior designs, with little-to-no ornamentation on the street-facing façades. The synagogues are all very small in scale, allowing their courtyards and walls to blend into the cityscape. This is potentially a method for escaping possible persecution in a town with a very small, minority Jewish population; the synagogues are almost unidentifiable amidst the other structures in the city. However, all synagogues in Djerba are identified by the presence of a lantern on the top of the prayer hall above the tevah. The architecture of Djerban synagogues is remarkably uniform, with every synagogue conforming to the same Mizrahi planning conventions. The heikhal is oriented towards Jerusalem and is the most elaborately decorated part of the synagogue. The tevah is centrally located and emphasized in the synagogue’s plan; in the El-Ghriba Synagogue, the tevah is a central square pavilion that stands in the sanctuary facing the heikhal. Specific to Djerban synagogue design, the tevah is topped by a glass lantern, illuminating the Torah while it is being read. The plan emphasizes access to the tevah for male congregants, as women were relegated to a separate space of worship. The El-Ghriba Synagogue, in addition to this primary worship space and a connected colonnaded courtyard, includes a large inn for Jewish pilgrims, four stores, olive fields, and gardens.
REASON FOR INCLUSION
The El-Ghriba Synagogue is an important example of a Jewish structure for a group other than Ashkenazim, as it is often forgotten that there is vast ethnic diversity within Judaism itself. The architectural tradition of Sephardic, and Mizrahi, synagogues is innately different from Ashkenazi architectural tradition, and it is imperative to represent the contrasts in any conversations about Jewish architecture. Furthermore, the coalescence of Jewish and Islamic religious design in the El-Ghriba Synagogue creates a fascinating sort of vernacular architecture that is present in the synagogues of Djerba, and elsewhere in other combined Jewish-Muslim communities. The El-Ghriba Synagogue is itself incredibly significant in Judaism due to its role in the Lag Ba’omer festival, marking it as an internationally recognized sacred space.
SOURCES
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- JimenaMedia. “Inside El Ghriba Synagogue.” Youtube video, 3:22. July 21, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pWUw8ZhkMs.
- Mansour, Nesrine and Anat Geva. “Djerbian Culture and Climate as Expressed in a Historic Landmark: The Case of El-Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia.” In Synagogues in the Islamic World: Architecture, Design, and Identity, edited by Mohammad Gharipour, 226-247. Edinburgh University Press, 2017.