Named after the Alhambra
It's called Spanish because its interior copies the Moorish style of the Alhambra in Granada, fashionable for synagogues in the 19th century, not because Spanish Jews founded it.
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Spanish Synagogue: the history, and why it's called Spanish
The newest synagogue in Prague's Jewish Quarter stands on the site of the oldest. Its name has nothing to do with Spain's Jews, and everything to do with its decoration. Here's what you're looking at.
Built1868
Interior finished1893
StyleMoorish Revival
Run byJewish Museum in Prague
Hear the Spanish Synagogue story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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On the site of the Old School
It replaced the Old Shul, the oldest Jewish house of prayer in Prague, and was built for the Reform congregation, with an organ, as Reform synagogues had.
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A composer's song
František Škroup, who wrote the Czech national anthem, was organist here in the 1830s, at the earlier synagogue on this site.
TipLook straight up when you walk in: the dome and walls are covered in gilded geometric patterns that continue on every surface. With Urban Tales running, the synagogue's story plays as you reach Dušní street.
Nearby landmarks
Spanish Synagogue: common questions
Why is it called the Spanish Synagogue?
Because of its Moorish Revival decoration, modelled on the Alhambra in Spain.
When was the Spanish Synagogue built?
In 1868; the interior decoration was completed in 1893.
Can you visit the Spanish Synagogue?
Yes, with a Jewish Museum in Prague ticket; it also hosts concerts.