Fortifications and the Synagogue: The Fortress of Babylon and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, Cairo

The Ben Ezra Synagogue, in Cairo, is best known as the synogogue in which the 'Cairo Geniza' was found—an astonishingly rich store of ancient books, manuscripts, correspondences, and records dating back to the tenth century. Copiously illustrated with plans, engravings, and photographs, Fortifications and the Synagogue describes the recent restoration of this ancient synagogue, as well as the historical and archaeological research essential to its preservation and to an understanding of the religious communities that founded modern Cairo. The work is unprecedented in its comprehensive examination of the subject, presenting the first measured survey and photographic study of the fortress and synagogue, the first thorough study of the Geniza manuscripts, and a complete history of the synagogue from the Geniza period to the present.

Phyllis Lambert is an internationally known architect and founder and director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture.