Spanish Synagogue

The Spanish Synagogue, a Moorish jewel of Prague

The Prague audio-guided tour invites you to quiet contemplation before the Spanish Synagogue, one of the finest of the Jewish quarter. Its appearance with Arab-Andalusian inspirations, recalling the Alhambra of Granada, offers a complete change of scene in the heart of the Czech capital.

On the site of the Old School

Despite its name, the Spanish Synagogue has no direct link with Spain: it owes its name to its Moorish style, inspired by the Islamic art of Andalusia. It was built on the very site of the oldest house of prayer of the quarter, called the Old School. Erected in the second half of the nineteenth century, it illustrates the rise of the Jewish community of Prague at that time.

What there is to see

The interior dazzles with its profusion of golden arabesques, its coloured stuccoes, its stained-glass windows and its dome, in a refinement inspired by the Alhambra. A member of the Jewish Museum of Prague, the synagogue houses an exhibition on the history of the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is one of the most spectacular and moving places of the Josefov quarter, to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Spanish Synagogue is in the Jewish quarter of Josefov, in Prague. A member of the Jewish Museum of Prague, it can be visited according to its own schedule, with a charge, whose opening times may vary with the season and the holidays. A place of memory, it can be discovered with respect and contemplation.

Why is it called the Spanish Synagogue?

Because of its Moorish style, inspired by the Islamic art of Andalusia and the Alhambra of Granada, and not a direct link with Spain.

What can you see in the Spanish Synagogue?

An interior adorned with golden arabesques and an exhibition on the history of the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia, as part of the Jewish Museum of Prague.