Assistant Antiquities Minister inspected Jewish archaeological sites

ALEXANDRIA, Feb 16 (MENA) – Assistant Antiquities Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif on Friday inspected a number of Jewish archaeological sites in Alexandria.

He started his tour with visiting Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue to follow up ongoing restoration works carried out by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority.

Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue was built in 1354. It was bombed by the French during their invasion of Egypt in 1798 and was re-built in 1850 with contributions from the Muhammad Ali dynasty. It is included on the World Monuments Fund’s 2018 list of monuments at risk.

The two-story Synagogue has three facades. its floors are decorated with marble slabs and Mosaic tiles, he said.

Also, the assistant antiquities minister toured the Menasce Synagogue, which was built by philanthropist Baron Yacoub de Menasce in 1860.

The rectangular-shaped two-story building is surrounded by a stone wall with a decorative element.

The main facade of the synagogue has two rows of windows and the interior is divided into two sections. The floors are paved with ceramic tiles, while the ceilings have domed shapes.

Moreover, he visited the three main Jewish graves, which were built on an area of 15 feddans.