CAIRO — On April 18, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the start of restoration work at the Ben Ezra Synagogue in the Religious Complex of historic Cairo. Archaeologists and analysts say the Egyptian government's attention to Jewish heritage is in part a bid to attract more tourists.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt Mustafa Waziri said in a press statement that the synagogue located inside the Babylon Fortress is considered the oldest synagogue in Egypt. The last restoration work at the site was in 1991, he said.
