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Nicknamed La Ghriba (“the strange” in Arabic), the synagogue of Djerba is located 11 km south of Houmt-Souk, the capital of the island. It is an essential tourist attraction in Djerba, although unfortunately, tourists who stay in club hotels hardly suspect its existence. It must be said that it is isolated in the open countryside, far from the beaches, in the center of the island, 1 kilometer from the village of Erriadh, one of the two Jewish villages of Djerba. The interior decorated with painted wood, mosaics and stained glass is quite remarkable. You have to take off your shoes and put on a yarmulke. It would be the oldest synagogue in the world, dating from 586 BC! It was founded by priests of Solomon's temple after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar the same year. The remains of the Temple are said to still be visible in some places, but there is no proof of their veracity. It was damaged by an Islamist attack in 2002. We see rabbis there reading passages from the Torah. A place steeped in history and full of emotion, also testifying to the tolerance of Tunisians. The synagogue of La Ghriba is the subject of an annual pilgrimage, on the occasion of the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba'omer (33rd day of Passover) which brings together several thousand pilgrims each year.
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Ross Daniels
a month agoI had pretty high expectations as it was regarded as one of the highlights of Djerba Island. There is no doubt that it is beautifully crafted inside and it has a very long history and remains highly significant for Jewish people in Tunisia today and is the most famous Jewish site for the local community. It is where local Tunisian Jews celebrate the holiday of Lag BaOmer.
Frank Xiong
9 months agoBeautiful place, guarded by security. Must buy a ticket in the front office across the street, go thru a scanner, then across the street. Good parking area. Unique synagogue 🕍 filled with tiles, stained glass, and mosaic architecture.
Presteyqah
a month agoBeautiful and unique synagogue for many reasons.
Quentin Bonge
a month agoThis Synagogue is one of the oldest in North Africa and has an impressive history. While the main building is not very big it’s central to Djerba and receives a lot of visitors. Highly recommend adding this to your itinerary if you’re looking for an interesting historic destination.
Rawen Ab
2 years agoThis is the oldest Synagogue in North Africa, El Ghriba synagogue is a Maghrebi (Tochavim) Synagogue which means that the Tunisian Jews of Djerba are ethnically Amazighs who converted to Judaism even before the arrival of Sephardic jews who were expelled from Spain and settled in North Africa. Judaism is actually an ethno-religion too. El Ghriba Synagogue has a mysterious, spiritual atmosphere, an old remnant of its glorious past. The colorful tiles with different designs on the walls (blue, green and yellow) combined with white shades oozes off Jewish vibes. As someone who is into religious studies and has always wanted to visit this sacred place, I was a little bit disappointed! I had many questions and i was expecting that someone who explain to us visitors the history of this amazing place and Jewish traditions etc.. it's always better to get informations from the people who practice Judaism themselves even though it's easy to access Internet and read everything . We had few questions and wanted to ask the Rabbi and he just shuffled away and left us with no answer and was mumbling in Hebrew.. however, i really recommend visiting this masterpiece of Synagogue, a small one but breathtaking!! And don't forget to lit a candle for your beloved ones. SHALOM