We are stuck again. Today we wanted to avoid Midoun because of the weekly market, but our (his!) sat nav puts us right in the middle of it. Now we are in a fix, driving Felix at walking pace (or even slower) through the market alley.
Nevertheless, there is one good thing about it: we can take a look at what is currently on offer and check the quality of the vegetables right away.
We leave Midoun behind us and somewhere in the middle of Djerba stands our next destination: the El Ghriba synagogue. It is one of the oldest synagogues in Africa and has been visited by Jews from all over the world for centuries. The synagogue is also called "the mother of all synagogues" and is considered an important centre of the Jewish community here.
There are many stories and legends associated with the El Ghriba. One of the most famous legends is that the synagogue has a holy shrine containing a Torah scroll written by the Prophet Moses himself. The Torah scroll is considered very sacred and precious and is carried through the streets of Djerba in a procession every year.
Others believe that the synagogue also has healing powers and that it is visited by Jews from all over the world who pray for healing.
Unfortunately, there is also a less beautiful past: In 2002, there was an attack on the synagogue in which, sadly, 21 people were killed and many injured. Somehow - we are not free of imagination - these thoughts also resonate as we pass the security check in front of the building.
We are the only visitors, once again. I am already prepared, wear a scarf to cover my hair and am otherwise dressed rather "conservatively". Gerd gets a kippah at the entrance, which he has to wear during his stay in the synagogue.
Only when we get inside do we realise that we have never been to a synagogue before, because the benches, the arrangement, the many candlesticks etc. are completely different from what we have seen so far. We'll have to do some more research (and I'm already looking at the map to see how we can get further east with Felix).
A pillar was not completed in construction because nothing but God alone can be perfect. Aha.
All in all, a beautiful place to stay. And just because we have already visited so many churches and also several mosques, a synagogue is again something beautiful and new for our eyes and hearts.
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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