Kanisa-yi Aqa Shukrullah

This building is located in the Jewish quarter of Isfahan in the Jubareh district. The site was donated and the construction funded by the local Jewish community. The date mentioned on a historic curtain in the interior is 1809. However, according to the owners, the current building was built around 1900. The building forms a simple rectangular shape that is oriented along an east-west axis. Its interior lies three steps below street level. The main entrances are located on the north and west sides, and both lead onto a long corridor running along the north end of the building. From this corridor, a small vestibule with shoe storage gives access to the east end of the large prayer hall and a courtyard occupying the southeastern portion of the building.The prayer hall is rectangular and divided into three aisles by two sets of two columns. The bema is located in the central aisle, which is also the broadest. A skylight opens above the western aisle in front of the Torah ark. The sitting area is a continuous platform along the northern, eastern, and southern walls. The women’s area is not separated in this synagogue. Clerestory windows on the northern and eastern walls allow light into the building; but the windows on the northern side are now blocked. The building is still being used as a religious space and thanks to recent renovations, which do not necessarily match the original style, the building is in good shape. The ceiling is plain with wooden frames and is on four stone columns. The sitting area is decorated with haft-rang tiles.-- Mohammad Gharipour (September, 2017)