Kanisa-yi Mushi Haja

The Mushi Haja Synagogue is a building dating to about the late Qajar period (late nineteenth/thirteenth century AH) in the Jubarah district of Isfahan, Iran. This synagogue is attached to the Shmu'il Sham‘un Synagogue and the entrances of these two synagogues are just a few feet away. It is named after Moshe Haya (Mushi Haja) who funded the construction. This building has major construction and design differences with the other synagogues of Jubarah, such as geometrical patterns used in the ornamentation of the ceiling and the breadth of the walls. The building is nondescript on the outside, and is set far back from the street, behind Shmu'il Sham'un. A long and dark corridor leads from the street past Shmu'il Sham'un along the eastern side of the building, and then makes two right-angle turns before ending at the entrance to the synagogue's prayer hall.The bema of the prayer hall is located in the central bay below a dome with a lantern skylight. There is a half-story on eastern side that is used as a female sitting area. Two windows on the western wall face Jerusalem.The building is still in use and does not seem to have been renovated. Nonetheless, it is in good condition with significant architectural value.-- Mohammad Gharipour (September, 2017)