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Molla Rabi Synagogue, Isfahan, Iran

Description

Setting: Jewish History in Isfahan: 

Isfahan, originally established in the village of Jayy (also known as Shahristan), boasts a rich Jewish history. The Jewish quarter, al-Yahudiyya, was located two miles west of the city center. The exact origins of Jewish settlement in Isfahan are uncertain, with various traditions suggesting their arrival during different periods: Neo-Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign (605-562 BCE) after the First Temple’s destruction in 586 BCE, Shapur II’s rule between 309 and 379 CE, or Yazdegerd’s reign from 399 to 421 CE.[6] According to tenth-century Persian historian and geographer Ibn al-Faqih al-Hamadani, local Jewish tradition cites Isfahan’s appeal to Jewish settlement was due to its water and soil, reminiscent of the Holy Land.[7]

Pre-Islamic records documenting Jewish settlement are scarce. However, historical accounts reveal instances of persecution against Jews in Isfahan in 472 CE under the Sassanian Shah Peroz (459-484 CE).[8] During the early Islamic Caliphate, Isfahan witnessed the emergence of a Jewish messianic movement known as the Issawiya, which was influenced by Islamic and Shi’ite prophetic traditions. Throughout the Umayyad (661-750 CE) and Abbasid (750-1258 CE) Caliphates, the Jewish community in Isfahan maintained strong connections with Baghdad’s Jewish population.[9]

The Mongol conquest in 1240-1241 and Timur Lang’s invasion in 1387 brought significant hardships to Isfahan’s Jewish community.[10] During the Safavid Era (1501-1722), Isfahan reached its cultural and political apex when Shah Abbas I (1588-1629 CE) made it his capital. Despite this period of relative prosperity, the Jewish community faced persecution and forced conversions from 1656 to 1662 under the direction of Muhammad Beg, the grand vizier to Shah Abbas II (1643-1666 CE).[11] These events, along with later political instability, famine, and raids contributed to the community’s decline. 

Later, during the Great Famine of 1871, Persian Jews in Isfahan faced severe hardships, leading them to appeal for aid from European Jewry. A significant financial response, particularly from German Jews, resulted in the distribution of over nineteen thousand British pounds to both Jewish and non-Jewish victims in many Persian cities, including Isfahan.[12] In 1873, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar’s visit to Europe offered a strategic opportunity for Jewish leaders to address the Shah directly.[13] Through a coordinated petition campaign, including a meeting with Sir Moses Montefiore in London, Jewish leaders sought to pressure the Shah into improving the condition of Persian Jews. This included advocating for the establishment of special courts, the elimination of discriminatory practices, and reduction of arbitrary taxation placed on Jews.[14]

By the early nineteenth century, Isfahan’s Jewish population had dwindled significantly. However, the establishment of a Jewish school by the Alliance Israélite Universelle in 1901 marked the beginning of a period of modernization and growth.[15] During the Pahlavi Era (1925-1979), Jews experienced greater freedoms, leading to increased integration and influence. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, many Jews emigrated, but a small community remained in Isfahan. As of 2003, restoration efforts by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran have aimed to preserve the historic synagogues of Jubareh.[16]

Jubareh Quarter of Isfahan: 

Jubareh, one of Isfahan’s oldest neighborhoods, has long been a vital center for the Jewish community. It is home to most of Isfahan’s synagogues, including the oldest one, Mushi Haja, which dates back to around 1700.[17] The neighborhood’s closeness to the Jame’ Mosque highlights the historical coexistence of Jewish and Muslim communities. Within the Jubareh neighborhood, the synagogues follow an organic, asymmetrical layout unlike monumental building styles consistent with mausoleums and mosques in Isfahan.[18]

Jewish homes in Jubareh are structurally and stylistically similar to Muslim homes, built with brick and often featuring central courtyards.[19] However, synagogues, while blending in with surrounding buildings through their brick facades, differ in spatial organization. They often have interiors below street level due to height restrictions imposed by the Pact of Umar[20], with vaulted roofs supported by columns and adorned with stucco and plaster.[21] Light plays a significant role in their design, creating a spiritual ambiance through skylights.[22]

Most synagogues in Jubareh were built during the late Qajar period (1880-1920) and are modest due to financial constraints and building policies.[23] Many synagogues are attached to adjacent buildings, requiring Jews to use space efficiently, partly due to limitations in purchasing vacant properties based on minority population growth.[24] Housing three synagogues in one single structure could make maintenance easier, cheaper, and more manageable for synagogue-keepers.[25]

Molla Rabi Synagogue:

The Molla Rabi Synagogue, part of the Jewish quarter of Jubareh in Isfahan, is an integral structure in a three-part connected religious complex that includes the Jima’ati and Bozorg Synagogues. Located near Mahi Forush-ha Street[26], these three synagogues are connected, forming a single structure with a shared entrance and corridor, but each has its separate door leading to its respective prayer hall.[27]

The Molla Rabi Synagogue features a rectangular prayer hall that is fully illuminated by several octagonal skylights.[28] The design choice not only enhances the spiritual ambiance but also adheres to the architectural constraints imposed by the surrounding environment, such as being attached to adjacent buildings.[29] According to recent photos, the building itself is in good shape and has not gone under any recent renovations, maintaining its historical integrity.[30] Inside the Molla Rabi synagogue includes the Holy Ark (heikhal), the raised platform from which prayers are recited and the Torah is read (bimah), and seating arrangements.[31] There is no recent evidence displaying Molla Rabi being used for regular services, or information about when it was last used. Also, it is unknown if there was co-ed, separate, or no seating arrangements for women. 

As in all synagogues in the Jubareh neighborhood, Molla Rabi Synagogue is spatially organized to create distance between its entrance and worship area. This allows for symbolic transformation from the secular to the sacred.[32]

Constructed during the Qajar Period, the Molla Rabi Synagogue reflects the broader trends and adaptations of the Jewish community in response to dhimmi laws—rules for non-Muslims based on Islamic Law that often restricted construction of religious spaces for Jews. Unlike local mosques in Isfahan, the synagogues in Jubareh, including Molla Rabi, do not serve as unifying structures for an urban quarter but instead illustrate the diversity within the Jewish community.[33] As Molla Rabi’s location is near the Jame’ Mosque of Isfahan, this signifies a degree of integration and overlap in Jewish and Muslim populations, requiring frequent interaction. The construction of the Molla Rabi synagogue, along with Bozorg and Jima’ati Synagogues, was funded by the local Jewish community. The land for Molla Rabi was donated by the Bipurat, Yu Matub, and Zakariya’i families.[34]

Architecturally, the Molla Rabi synagogue blends seamlessly with its surroundings. From the street, it is nearly indistinguishable from other buildings, with only a small entrance, an unadorned wall, and a skylight on a dome-shaped roof.[35] Molla Rabi is unrecognizable from the outside due to its scale and to the fact that it is covered with thatch, like other buildings.[36] The exterior integrates the synagogues into the fabric of the neighborhood, making it difficult for strangers to identify it as a place of worship. 

Photos Are Available Here: 

https://www.7dorim.com/en/pictures/the-mollah-rabbi-synagogue/

https://www.archnet.org/sites/18571 

 

Contributions by Anoushiravan A. 

Isfahan, Iran