One week before the 'B-day', my first visitor came, Erika. She has been here so many times by now that we have both lost count, but she is always keen on exploring and discovering; so this time I took her to the Abrahamic Family House, which wasn't open yet last time she came.
I have wanted to go back for a while, as last time I visited, the Synagogue wasn't open because of service. We opted for the free guided tour this time as well, although our guide this time wasn't as informative as last time.
The Synagogue is named after the 12th century Jewish philosopher Moses Ben Maimon, and it symbolises the traditional shelter for prayer.
The skylight references a chuppah, a temporary structure used during Jewish marriages for the couple to stand under fabric beneath a sea of stars.
The crisscross diagrid facade is inspired by the palm trees used to build a Sukkah, a type of temporary shelter built during the festival of Sukkot. At the same time as this pattern provides protection from the sun, it allows the stars to be seen at night.
The beautiful hannukiah (or Hannukah menorah), the candelabra with nine candlesticks, one for each night of Hannukah and one for the helper candle used to light the others, the shamash.
This is the first purpose-built synagogue in the UAE.
Here we are, in the elevated shared garden connecting the three structures. It is such a beautiful place.
I also just have to post this photo, from inside the Mosque. The light was absolutely stunning when we were there, filtering through the mashrabiya windows. Magical.
No comments:
Post a Comment