Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Although Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim region, different religions coexist peacefully here, as can be seen if you visit the Derbent Kele-Numaz synagogue. It is located in the very center of the city on Tagi-Zade street, 98, and at certain hours opens its doors to everyone, including tourists.
Back in the XIX century, the population of Derbent was geographically distributed according to the following principle: the upper part or the old town of Magala was inhabited by Muslims; in the central part lived mainly Jews; closer to the sea — Armenians and Russians. It was then that the main Jewish street Tagi-Zade was called "Kele-Kuche" which meant "Big (long) street". It also had another name – "Jugut Mahal", which means "Jewish Quarter".
The Kele-Numaz synagogue appeared on this street in 1914, and is still located in the same building to this day. During the period of Soviet power, religion was, to put it mildly, not in high esteem. The Soviet authorities refused the petitions of the local Jewish community to allocate a plot of land for the construction of a new synagogue, and as a result, for almost a century of existence, knowledge has become very dilapidated and was in disrepair. In 2009, it was decided to reconstruct, the synagogue was completely dismantled and then reassembled from original stones and new materials.
However, to great sadness, in 2024 the peaceful coexistence of religions in Derbent was disrupted. As a result of the terrorist attack that led to the death of 22 people, the synagogue was severely damaged, almost all of its interior burned out. Now the building is again in disrepair and closed to the public. Whether the synagogue will be restored again and open to the public is not yet known, but you can come to see it from the outside.
🕐 Working hours
Previously, the synagogue was accessible to tourists from 10:00 to 12:30, except Saturdays. Currently, the visit is not available, you can view it from the outside at any time.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Located in the center of Derbent on Tagi-Zade street, 98 (Kele-Numaz on the map).
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Makhachkala with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: