Great Synagogue (Constanța)

The Great Synagogue of Constanța is an Ashkenazi synagogue, located at 2 C. A. Rosetti Street in Constanța, Romania, that is no longer in use. Although it is in an advanced state of decay and has been abandoned, it is the only synagogue that stands in Constanța.

History
The synagogue was built between 1910 and 1914 in a Moorish Revival architectural style on the site of an earlier synagogue, erected between 1867 and 1872 after a firman of Sultan Abdul Aziz. The first steps were initiated in 1907 by the president of the community, M. Bujes. However the original building application submitted in 1908 was denied due to concerns about the strength of the proposed dome and galleries. Architect Anghel Păunescu thus replaced the proposed dome with a semi-cylindrical vault intended to express the same "seduction of the curved space".

In the interwar period, there had been two main synagogues in Constanța: there was also the Sephardic Temple, built between 1905 and 1908 in a Catalan Gothic architectural style, The Sephardic synagogue was heavily damaged during the Second World War when it was used as an ammunition warehouse, further damaged by an earthquake, and was demolished in 1989 under the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu.

Condition
As the Jewish population in Constanța declined, the synagogue fell into disuse. Photographs show the synagogue was still in use - and in good repair - as recently as 1996, but once abandoned, the building had been "ransacked of anything not nailed down". The structure of the building is still standing, but is in an advanced state of degradation and is in danger of collapsing.

Only three of the four walls are intact, and the roof has partially collapsed. A tree grows in the middle of the sanctuary and most of the stained glass windows have been smashed.

Journalists Florin Anghel and Cristian Andrei Leonte blamed local officials and popular opinion for allowing the building to "crumble to the point of collapse", noting that synagogues in other cities were "splendidly renovated and converted into cultural centres or exhibition halls." Aurel Vainer, president of the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania, blamed lack of interest for the deterioration of the synagogue.

In November 2014, a team of architects from Bucharest were hired to inspect the building, assess the necessary repairs and estimate costs. In 2019, there was an outcry from the local Jewish community and in Israel after an unauthorized lingerie photo shoot was held in the synagogue and pictures were posted online.

In June 2023, the president of the Romanian Jewish community announced that a contract to restore the synagogue had been signed.

Architecture
The synagogue has three levels. The exterior doors and windows display a Moorish influence. Inside, the worship area is divided into three naves with traditional Jewish decorations.