The former Sabile Synagogue – Sabile Art, Culture and Tourism Centre
Description
The former Sabile Synagogue is located in the heart of Sabile Historical Centre, an urban development heritage site of national significance, which, in turn, is nestled in the specially protected cultural and historical territory Abava Valley within the specially protected nature territory Abava Ancient River Valley Nature Park. The restored Sabile Synagogue and the town square complement each other, forming a complex which offers even greater accessibility to cultural heritage-related content and events.
Currently, the former Sabile Synagogue houses the Talsi Municipality institution Sabile Art, Culture and Tourism Centre which hosts various art and culture events, exhibitions, concerts, cinema evenings, lectures, seminars, conferences and other activities.
Sabile Synagogue is a sacred building of the Sabile Jewish population – at the end of the 19th century, 73% of the town’s population was Jewish. The stone building was erected in 1890, but its foundations date back to 1875. Sabile Synagogue is very similar to a religious building erected in 1603 in Livorno, Italy, which served as a model for many other European synagogues.
Sabile Jewish Synagogue was used as a place of worship until WWII. The square in front of the synagogue housed several buildings until 1970 – these were demolished to create Sabile’s Town Square. During the Soviet period, the synagogue housed a sports hall and a warehouse for the Sabile Fruit and Vegetable Combine. After that, the building stood empty for a long time.
In the early 1990s, sculptor Ojārs Arvīds Feldbergs and the Abava Valley Foundation bought the former Sabile synagogue from the Sabile Fruit and Vegetable Combine. Between 2001 and 2004, the building was restored: the reconstruction project was a collaboration between Swedish and Latvian architects. The synagogue’s balcony, which was removed during the Soviet era, was also restored. The project was funded by the Swedish National Heritage Board and the State Inspection for Heritage Protection of Latvia. The building is currently owned by the Talsi Municipality Local Government.
Improvements made within the project
The project reconstructed and renovated two buildings and the square. The reconstruction of Sabile Town Square was carried out under due archaeological supervision, and it is now located in the Historical Centre of Sabile, an urban development heritage of national significance.
The Sabile Synagogue building was restored as an architectural monument of national significance, and the previously unusable adjacent building was renovated as well. The two buildings are connected by a roofed passage.
Investments – EUR 760,244.32
Of which:
ERDF funding – EUR 300,000
state budget grant – EUR 101,354.65
municipal funding – EUR 358,889.67
The project was implemented by Talsi Municipality Local Government.
Address
Strautu Street 4, Sabile
Working time
01.05-30.09
Monday -Saturday 10.00-17.00
Sunday 11.00-16.00
01.10.-30.04.
Tuesday – Friday 10.00-17.00
Saturday 10.00-16.00
Sunday, Monday – closed
Admission fee
Entrance fee to the exhibitions:
EUR 3.50 for adults
EUR 2.00 for pupils, students, pensioners
Getting there
Access on foot, by private transport, by boat on the Abava River and by public transport (bus) from the following locations: Talsi, Kandava, Tukums, Kuldīga, Aizpute, Liepāja, Jūrkalne, Jūrmala, Rīga.
Contacts
Sabile Art, Culture and Tourism Centre:
+371 26655736
Tourism Centre:
+371 27841827
