Great Synagogue of Tbilisi

The synagogue in Tbilisi or Great Synagogue in Tbilisi is located at №45 Kote Apchazi Street in the Old Town, next to the Jvari Mama Church. The surrounding area is part of the Old Town and is one of the city’s many attractions.

We can find interesting passages about the history of the Great Synagogue of Tbilisi in the newspapers and magazines of the time:
In the Georgian newspaper of 1897, we read: ‘The Jews living in Tbilisi intend to build a new, large prayer house on the site of the old prayer house in Jerusalem Street, headed by the Jewish rabbis Levin and Abram Gorelaschwili, for which 3000 manats have already been collected’.

The newspaper Iveria wrote on 25 January 1903: ‘For a long time, the so-called Georgian Jews of Tbilisi have had the intention of building their own chapel (Torah) in Tbilisi, but so far Georgian disorder has really hindered this work. The Jews have submitted a petition to the governor asking him to allow us to collect money among ourselves for the construction of our own Torah…’

The new synagogue was already fully completed by 1910.

The building was erected on difficult ground, so that the second floor of the synagogue faces the rear façade on Tumaniani Street. The ground floor of the building is divided into four rooms. The hall of the synagogue is in the front room, with the cantor on the right and a three-step staircase leading to the prayer room on the second floor on the left.

The other three parts of the building are connected by a prayer hall with two arch structures. Between the arches of the hall stands Thebe in the middle, and Aron-Hakodesch in the middle of the transverse wall opposite the entrance.

The interior of the two halls, the walls of the staircase and the entrance, as well as the ceiling, are completely painted. The paintings depict plant motifs, ornaments and variations in order. The plasticity of the writing contributes to the harmony of the whole. Both in Thebes and in Aron-Hakode, the halls are made of wood with intricate profiles and ornaments. The blue Hekhali curtain with the lion embroidered in gold thread is a masterpiece.

The Synagogue is located on Kote Apchasi Street, which is part of the Old Town and is of course visited by many guests. Admission to the Synagogue is free. It is located right on the street and is easy to find. There are many nice cafes and restaurants near the synagogue where you can relax and get to know the character of the city.

Our guests can visit this beautiful attraction on our 11-day cycle tour of Georgia, which begins with a city tour of Tbilisi, and on our photo tours.