Ghariba Synagogue (Djerba)

The El Ghriba Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس الغريبة), also known as the Djerba Synagogue, is an ancient Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Jewish village of Hara Seghira (currently known as er-Riadh), several kilometres southwest of Houmt El Souk, the main town on the island of Djerba, Tunisia. The synagogue appears to be the oldest synagogue in the world. Besides being the center of the island's Jewish life, the synagogue is also a Jewish site of pilgrimage. While extensively renovated in the 19th century CE, the buildings may date from the 6th century BCE: one of the legends associated with its founding claims that either a stone or a door from Solomon's Temple or the Second Temple is incorporated in the building. El Ghriba is the most famous of the about 20 synagogues that were being used until the 1950s in the three Jewish villages on Djerba. In 2023 Djerba was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The synagogue has been the target of terrorist attacks in 1985, in 2002, and in 2023.