The synagogue of Ibn Danan, the Jewish Synagogue (in Hebrew בית הכנסת אבן דאהן), is a Jewish synagogue in the city of Fez used by Jews who stayed in Morocco and who are mostly stationed in Fez. With Luxury Fes Tours, you will have the chance to visit this old monument and discover it with our professional guide.
The history of the construction of the temple dates back to the Moroccan Sultan Al-Rashid bin Ali Sharif, who wanted to revive commerce in the city, so the Jews of Zaouia of Ait-Ishaq, located in the Middle Atlas, He ordered Maimon Busidan, one of the notables of Ait-Ishaq, commissioned the construction of the synagogue.
Most of the Moroccan Jews use their worship in the Hebrew language, and there are those who use Arabic to a lesser degree. Ibn Danan synagogue was considered one of the most important synagogues in Fez when the Jews were still living in the Al-Mellah neighborhood in the Old Medina. However, it was marginalized and forgotten after the immigration of the Jews of Fez or the Jews of Morocco began in great measure. This migration will intensify after Morocco's independence from France and Spain in 1956.
The building witnessed restorations in the 1870s, and recently, the Jewish community strived in Fes to preserve it. It managed to persuade the World Antiquities Fund to restore the synagogue in 1996 with funding from American Express in cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and the Moroccan Jewish Cultural Heritage Foundation. After its restoration, it was reopened in 1999.
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