Kanisa-yi Shmu'il Guli

The Shmu'il Guli Synagogue is located in the Jewish quarter of Isfahan in the Jubarah district close to the fishmongers market. The synagogue was a waqf building and the construction was funded by the local Jewish community. According to a stone engraving, it was originally built in 1814, but the current structure seems to be the remains of an early 20th century building. The exterior is quite simple with a few openings that bring in light to the interior. The entrance leads onto a 12-15 foot-long corridor that runs down the center of the building toward the north. On the west side of this corridor, a door opens onto the prayer hall, and on the east side to a courtyard.The prayer hall has a back aisle separated from the front section by two columns. The large front section is divided into three bays facing west. The central bay, in which lies the bema, is covered by a skylight. Windows also open from the southern wall. The women’s sitting area is located on a half-story on the top of the back aisle by the entrance. The courtyard is rectangular and gives onto service rooms.The building is designed quite simply with very limited ornamentation.The building is still being used as a religious space and does not seem to have been renovated in the last six decades.-- Mohammad Gharipour (September, 2017)