Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue in Yangon.

© Andrzej Lisowski Travel/Shutterstock

Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue

Yangon


All the traditional features of a synagogue are present in this superbly maintained 1896 building: the bimah (platform holding the reading table for the Torah) in the centre of the main sanctuary, the ark housing the sacred scrolls and a women’s balcony upstairs. The wooden ceiling features the original blue-and-white Star of David motif.

Opening hours appear to be more regular than before, but it's still best to contact trustee Sammy Samuels to be sure of gaining access.

The synagogue was once the focal point of an influential community of Sephardic Jews from India and Baghdad; at its height in the early 20th century, it numbered 2500.

Very occasionally (usually on Jewish high holidays) services are held in the synagogue, which has one of the Yangon Heritage Trust's blue plaques.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yangon attractions

1. Surti Sunni Jamah Mosque

0.13 MILES

Built in the 1860s, this is thought to be Yangon's oldest surviving Muslim place of worship. Its pair of large minarets flanks an equally imposing arched…

2. Mogul Shia Mosque

0.18 MILES

Completed in 1918, this is the largest of a handful of Shia mosques in Yangon, occupying a broad plot between 29th and 30th Sts along Mahabandoola Rd. The…

3. Sri Kali

0.21 MILES

Devoted to the Hindu goddess Kali, this temple was built in 1871 before the flood of Indian migrants came to the city during British colonial rule. It…

4. Doh Eain Alley Gardens

0.27 MILES

If you were wondering where all the street art in Yangon is, you need to start looking down back alleys. This pair of alleys, which can be toured as a…

5. Old Tourist Burma Building

0.3 MILES

In late 2019, following a major heritage-restoration project overseen by the nonprofit Turquoise Mountain, this stately colonial building reopened. Much…

6. Sule Paya

0.32 MILES

Not many cities have a primary traffic circle occupied by a 2200-year-old golden temple. This 46m zedi (stupa), said to be older than Shwedagon Paya, is…

7. Yangon Stock Exchange

0.37 MILES

Looking like a giant vault, this monumental neoclassical structure was originally built in 1937 to house the Reserve Bank of India. In December 2015 it…

8. Independence Monument

0.37 MILES

This 165ft white obelisk inside Mahabandoola Garden is surrounded by two concentric circles of chinthe (half-lion/half-dragon deities). Designed by Sithu…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "myanmar-burma/yangon-rangoon/attractions/musmeah-yeshua-synagogue/a/poi-sig/1368213/357104",
      "destination": "Yangon",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Myanmar-(Burma)",
      "city": "Yangon",
      "position": "superzone"
    }