Located in Baku’s old Jewish district, the impressive building of the Synagogue of Ashkenazi and Georgian Jews was designed by the architect Alexander Garber in the architectural style of Jerusalem. It has been described as one of the largest synagogues in Europe and one of the only synagogues built in the Near East in recent decades. Its opening on 9th March 2003 was an important event for the Ashkenazi and Georgian Jews, whose previous synagogue was located in a poorly equipped single-floor building formerly used as a military warehouse, given to them by the Soviet government after World War II.