Conservation work to save a structurally fragile, historic synagogue in Herat, western Afghanistan, is set to begin with the backing of the Taliban government.          Yu Aw synagogue, located in the Momandha quarter of Herat’s old city, will undergo a 16-month restoration project to save it from possible collapse, local officials and the organization responsible for carrying out the works have confirmed.

The project, which includes restoration of the mikvah, known as Hammam-e Mosaie, is one of the first cultural conservation projects to get the go-ahead in the province since the Taliban formed a government in Afghanistan in 2021, after the withdrawal of US troops from the country.

The Jewish community departed Herat in the 1970s, and the structures that once stood as the symbol of their vibrant life in the city were left abandoned. Not long after their immigration to Israel and the U.S., Herat was faced with decades of war, looting and destruction, which took their toll on the city’s historic monuments, many from its days as the capital of the medieval Timurid Empire (14th-15th century).

The Yu Aw synagogue, a 19th-century structure, the mikvah, a cemetery, and three other synagogues from the same era, are some of the last remaining physical reminders of the presence of Jewish residents in Herat.

Photo: The Yu Aw synagogue. Directly opposite is what was once the main prayer hall. On the right side are steps that lead to an underground mikveh.                                                                        Photo by Sarvy Geranpayeh