World's second largest synagogue in Budapest; Don't miss this great info!

It was Sunday and I needed to have my haircut. I already looked like a caveman after skipping the barber shop for two months already. I also felt that I needed to go out and visit the city centre to try the menu of a Turkish restaurant which is not far away from the place where I will be having my haircut.

I crossed the street from the Great Market Hall and followed the straight path going to the city centre. If I am not mistaken it was the street that heads towards the Vaci utca. I have not had my breakfast this morning because I felt like bloated so I did not feel like eating that day. I guess I needed to exercise a bit by brisk walking and going to the city centre from the dormitory is a good way to unload some of the cardio that I have not burned for the last three days after engaging in some heavy meals. I was tempted to drop by at the MacBurger just opposite the Great Market Hall but I opted not to and headed towards the city centre.

It have already walked as far as around two kilometers before I finally reached the city centre. Budapest's city centre is almost always busy in the morning but it is busier during the late afternoon. I decided to go sightseeing before having my haircut. Besides I really do not know the exact location of the barber shop which I have seen from the internet forum. I still needed to google it out to discover its exact location. I knew however that I was not far away from where I stood. So I went to the market where garments, shirts, bags and shoes are being sold. I also looked into the different restaurants and food stalls but I found the price of the dishes a bit expensive so I immediately left the place and went directly to the barber shop. I found myself in a place they called Astoria. This part of the city centre is bustling with activities and attracts a great number of visitors. Astoria appears to be a commercial area.

Meanwhile, I was able to find the barber shop after some few minutes of trying and failing. It was a bit challenging to be looking for a place without the aid of google search, google map, whatsoever. But I know that with some diligent searching I would be able to find the place.

The barber shop where I had my haircut is a bit older as shown by the materials used in the building. I love to see the beautiful dilapidation of some structures adjacent to it. And the location looked really great. There were several patrons of the barber shop who were patiently waiting for their turn. I waited for around thirty minutes before I finally had my haircut. It was a nice old guy who did my haircut. I had trouble though relaying to him as to what haircut I preferred because I do not understand Hungarian. He gave me a classic Hungarian haircut. I paid around 1200 forinth for the haircut.  I was happy with the result because he was able to give me the exact cut I wanted done with my hair. Happy with the result, I gave 1000 forinth as tip.

I left the barber shop after around thirty minutes and decided to take a few meters walk in that street as it was my first time to stroll along that area. I make it a habit to walk long and far whenever I am new to a place. I do not mind getting lost once in a while. In fact I have already experienced being lost somewhere else without being aware of it until I finally found myself in the same place where I have previously started.

After a few minutes walk, I found myself in Dohany utca near Karoly korut. From there I saw what I reckoned was an edifice which is used for religious purposes. Curious as to what it was, I decided to get closer and looked for myself why a great number of people are approaching the said building. As soon as I get closer to the area, I just realized that I discovered a city landmark. It was the Great Synagogue.

The Great Synagogue is one of the most important religious edifices in Budapest. It represents the center of worship of the Hungarian Jewish for a great number of years. 

Look at this terrific architectural structure that has captured the imaginations of many:

Here is another shot of this great religious edifice from my lenses:

How to get there

The Great Synagogue is actually situated in Dohany street, 1074 Budapest. If you are coming from a shopping area called Vaci utca, Dohany street is just a few meters walk. It is really nice to take this route when you want to maximize your sightseeing venture from the shopping street going to the synagogue. However, if you are somewhere else in the city, you may take the subway Metro 1, 2 or 3 heading towards Deak ter station then walk your way going to Karoly korut. Alternatively, you may take tram 47 or 49 or bus 7 or 78, then take a stop at Astoria station and then walk your way towards Karoly korut heading towards Deak ter.

What to see

In order to enter the Great Synagogue, admission fee is being charged. For adult tourists, an amount of 4000 forints is charged; while for students, 3000 forints. As of the time of this writing, I am not sure whether there has been changed to the admission fees, if any. So it is better to check this out in their website.

The Great Synagogue of Budapest is popular not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world. It is regarded by many as the largest synagogue in the world, next to the synagogue which is situated in New York City. Having said that, it is safe to say that the Central Synagogue as it is called in Budapest is the largest synagogue in the entire Europe.

When I entered the synagogue, I noted the artistic design and elaborate artistry inside the synagogue. Its interior has an artistic and ornate decorations. Verily, it can be considered as among the most beautiful synagogues not only in Europe but also in the world. You would feel the that unusual prowess of art that dominates the entire artistic theme of the interior. Once you get immersed with the details, you would find yourself as though you were in some Middle East countries particularly in Israel. The artistic designs can be considered as an eclectic one, a harmonious combination of Moorish and Byzantine tradition. Such a fusion of arts created a great masterpiece, a beautiful fusion of artistry. It has a ground floor and upper gallery. The former is said to be for men worshippers while the latter is for women. Looking at the synagogue and its carefully preserved structure, you would not think that this great edifice had successfully survived two world wars already and yet retains the integrity of its structures and was able to preserve it most important historical treasures. I heard though that it had also undergone some renovations sometime in the past.

The picture of the Great Synagogue below is only one among the pictures I have taken while I was having a long walk towards my way back to my dormitory but this beautiful structure caught my attention and I stopped to capture a photo of it.

Inside there exists a Memorial Tree of Life which commemorates one of the most tragic episode in history (the holocaust) and serves as dedication to those who died from the hands of Nazis. It was actually a mass grave where Hungarian Jews were cleansed by the Nazis. This serves as a memorial of man’s inhumanity to humanity. I got some goosebumps for some unknown reasons, perhaps because I share the humanity of those victims of the unjust war, those who were innocent lambs and yet died from the hands of the evil few. Just imagining how much the Jews have suffered from the Nazis gives me an indelible lesson that an act of inhumanity to humanity is one of the most grievous transgressions ever committed.

I noticed that the Tree of Life Memorial has leaves with names inscribed in them. I read the names in some of the leaves. I was informed that these were the names of the victims of holocaust. These are the names of those who died so that other may be able escape death and be saved. These are people who were sacrificed so that this tragic episode in history shall pass.

Another interesting thing to do in the synagogue is to discover and learn about the kind of life people have had during the 18thcentury and onwards. This is possible if you enter the Jewish Quarter Exhibition which in actuality provides a good glimpse of videos, photos and displays about how people lived and managed to establish community, government, etc starting 18thcentury. When I went to this quarter, I was really awe struck of the sheer number of collections of displays, photos and videos and how they were properly documented. Such impressive and pretty good collections ought to be preserved for the next generation to view and appreciate, for the next generations of tourists who will get educated about Hungary, its history and culture.

Finally, I completed my tour inside by getting into my last destination in the Synagogue: the Museum. I would say that the Museum is a good complement of the synagogue as it depicts the time of holocaust as well as the suffering of the victims of the Nazis. It also presents the life and culture in Hungary during different periods. It also has extensive and rich collections of Jewish religious items, objects considered sacred to Judaism and finally historical exhibitions showcasing different events in the last centuries. Personally, visiting the museum is a good way of synsethizing people about the cruelties and atrocities that were committed in history. It is also a good way to remind people that there untold stories that are needed to be told so that people in general will not in any way repeat the mistakes of the past. I was reminded of a famous quote from George Santayana who once declared that "those who do not learn from the lessons of past are bound to repeat the same mistakes from the past."

It was just one-hour tour inside the synagogue but the time spent therein is very worthy as I learn a lot of good things and I was thoroughly educated in much the same  way or even better than reading about them at books.

Here is a picture of mine taken in front of the Great Synagogue. There were plenty of people who were there to visit the synagogue and the museum inside it. Before I bid farewell to this magnificent and splendid place I need to capture some memories of my visit in this place.

If you want to know more about the Great Synagogue and other similar information, there are lots of sites that can provide you detailed information about it and other great places to visit in Budapest.

The Great Synagogue in Budapest is a must see if you are planning to do a Hungarian visit in a several-day European tour as you would have the rare opportunity to visit the largest synagogue in Europe and the most elegant Jewish structure in the world. It may sound exaggerating but the Great Synagogue will not be labeled “great” if it does not meet the expectations it is supposed to meet and if it does not have the character and quality worthy of being considered "great" in the strictest sense of the word and that in my personal opinion I have personally witnessed this day. Come and see this great religious edifice in Budapest!

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