THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE OF TBILISI

The presence of a Jewish diaspora in Georgia has been attested since ancient times. In late antiquity, a significant Jewish community existed in Mtskheta, where they established a synagogue. In the Middle Ages, Jewish populations resided in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, Tskhinvali, and many other towns and cities.

In the nineteenth century, Tbilisi’s Jewish neighborhood was located in the Kvemo Kala quarter. Tbilisi’s Jews also had a synagogue, which had been converted from a dwelling house in 1877. By the late nineteenth century, the building was already in a state of disrepair, and in 1899 it was demolished according to a government decree. Subsequently, Georgian Jews had to build a new synagogue, construction of which began in 1904 and was completed in 1911.

Entrance to the Great Synagogue

Substantial contributions to the building of the new synagogue, both in terms of construction activity and financial donations, were made by Jews from the city of Akhaltsikhe, who had moved to Tbilisi during the second half of the nineteenth century. As a result of this, the synagogue was and still is known as the "Synagogue of Akhaltsikhe Jews." In newspapers at the time, it was referred to as the synagogue of Georgian Jews or Georgian-speaking Jews. At present it is called the Great Synagogue of Tbilisi.

Main façade

The synagogue is set back from the Kote Abkhazi Street line, and stands on slightly elevated terrain. A succession of stone steps ascends toward the gate in a metal fence that encloses a small forecourt. The synagogue is built entirely of red brick. The façades are simple. Elements of neo-Moorish and Neo-Romanesque styles can be observed in the decoration, although these have been used quite moderately. The rear façade faces onto Tumanian Street.

Lower hall

The synagogue building has two floors with a large hall on each one, called the lower and upper prayer halls respectively. On the street side, there is a vestibule before the entrance to the lower hall. On the left side, a staircase leads from the vestibule to the upper hall. In both halls, opposite the entrance stands the Aron ha-Kodesh – the Holy Ark for storing the Torah scrolls.

Upper hall

The upper hall is larger, and its ceiling is higher than in the lower one. It is surrounded on three sides by an elevated gallery that rests on columns. This is the Ezrat Nashim – a space especially for women, which has a separate entrance from the exterior. Both halls are decorated with geometric and floral ornaments that are painted on the walls and ceiling.

Ceiling of the upper hall

The synagogue premises also include a mikveh, or room for ritual immersion, an office, a rabbinical memorial, and other ancillary spaces.

Rabbinical memorial

After Georgia was annexed to the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century, Ashkenazi Jews moved to Tbilisi from the inner provinces of the empire. They also erected their own synagogue on what is today named Anton Catholicos Street. In 1914-1915, the old synagogue was demolished and replaced with a new one, which still stands to this day. This pentagonal, domed structure is notable for the fact that it was one of the first religious buildings in Tbilisi to feature the application of reinforced concrete structures.The former Ashkenazi synagogue currently houses the David Baazov Museum of History of the Jews of Georgia.