El Ghriba Synagogue

El Ghriba Synagogue
Arabic: كنيس الغريبة
The synagogue interior, in 2007
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
Rite	Maghrebi (Tochavim)
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue Pilgrimage site
Status	Active
Location
Location	Er Riadh, Djerba
Country	Tunisia
Location of the synagogue in Tunisia
Geographic coordinates	33°48′50″N 10°51′34″E / 33.81389°N 10.85944°E / 33.81389; 10.85944
Architecture
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Moorish
Date established	6th century BCE

The El Ghriba Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس الغريبة), also known as the Djerba Synagogue, is an ancient Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Jewish village of Hara Seghira (currently known as er-Riadh), several kilometres southwest of Houmt El Souk, the main town on the island of Djerba, Tunisia.^[1] The synagogue appears to be the oldest synagogue in the world.^[2]

Besides being the center of the island's Jewish life, the synagogue is also a Jewish site of pilgrimage. While extensively renovated in the 19th century CE, the buildings may date from the 6th century BCE:^[2] one of the legends associated with its founding claims that either a stone or a door from Solomon's Temple or the Second Temple is incorporated in the building. El Ghriba is the most famous of the about 20 synagogues that were being used until the 1950s in the three Jewish villages on Djerba.

In 2023 Djerba was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.^[3]

The synagogue has been the target of terrorist attacks in 1985, in 2002, and in 2023.