ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF THE SYNAGOGUE-BASILICA
Remains of an astonishing complex combining an ancient synagogue and a Christian basilica. Poorly presented, but freely accessible.
This small archaeological site (Sinagoga dhe Bazilika Onhezmi) is squeezed between buildings in the city center. It houses the remains of an astonishing complex combining a synagogue and a Christian basilica. These were discovered during urban development work in 1978. On site, a map shows the location of the various buildings. The synagogue to the west corresponds to the first Jewish place of worship created when a Hebrew community was established in the Byzantine town of Anchiasmos (now Saranda) in the 2nd century A.D. It consists of a small prayer hall and adjoining rooms, the pavement of which included a mosaic depicting a seven-branched candlestick. A second, larger synagogue was built to the northeast around the 4th-5th century. It follows a basilica layout, with a rectangular prayer hall with three naves. In the 6th century, this was converted into a Christian church. The Jewish mosaics were replaced by Greek inscriptions and early Christian mosaics (birds, geometric symbols, etc.). Finally, the complex seems to have been destroyed around 580-588, during the Avar and Slav incursions. The site is important for researchers: it provides an insight into how Christianity developed here from a Jewish community. The mosaics uncovered at the site are covered with gravel for protection. But one of them is on display at the nearby Archaeological Museum.
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