The Synagogue

The oldest synagogue in the commonwealth
Location : The Synagogue at Fort Kochi, about 10 km from Ernakulam town, central Kerala.

Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00 hours; closed on Fridays.

The Synagogue at Fort Kochi, constructed in 1568, is the oldest in the Commonwealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two years later by the Dutch.

Mid-18th century hand painted, willow patterned floor tiles from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament, ancient scripts on copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the erstwhile Cochin rulers were recorded etc., are articles of interest here.

The area around the Synagogue is a centre of spice trade and curio shops. To know more about this street,

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Ernakulam, about 10 km from the Synagogue.
Nearest airport : Cochin International Airport, about 30 km from the Synagogue.