Why it deserves a visit
This rare fifteenth-century synagogue preserves a square prayer room supported by four columns and twelve corbels and now houses the Abraham Zacuto Luso-Hebrew Museum.
What to look for
Four columns support the fifteenth-century square room and are traditionally linked to the four matriarchs of Israel; twelve corbels evoke the tribes. Small openings and acoustic jars within the walls help interpret the former prayer space.
Plan your visit
The compact interior houses the Abraham Zacuto Luso-Hebrew Museum. Check opening and capacity, keep noise low and attend to the architecture, inscriptions and history of Tomar’s Jewish community. After official Jewish worship ended, the building served several purposes before Samuel Schwarz acquired it and donated it to the Portuguese state in 1939.
The small fifteenth-century building preserves columns and an acoustic system associated with its former religious use. Its museum interpretation deserves quiet attention; opening arrangements and capacity should be confirmed because the interior is compact.
The building is one of the rare surviving medieval synagogues in Portugal and was rediscovered in the twentieth century.
