Jewish Baku: Synagogues, the Chabad House and Quba's Red Village

Baku has two main working synagogues: the Mountain Jews' synagogue at 72 Ali Mardan Topchubashov Street, and the Ashkenazi and Georgian synagogue at 171 Dilara Aliyeva Street, which is also home to the city's Chabad community. A few hours north, across the river from Quba, lies the Red Village — Qırmızı Qəsəbə — a Mountain Jewish town with 19th-century synagogues and a museum that opened in 2020.

• Mountain Jews' synagogue: 72 Ali Mardan Topchubashov St; the new building was inaugurated on 5 April 2011.
• Ashkenazi & Georgian synagogue / Chabad: 171 Dilara Aliyeva St; inaugurated 9 March 2003; Rabbi Shneor Segal.
• Red Village: beside Quba in the north-east; the Six-Dome synagogue (1888) and the Museum of Mountain Jews.
• Opening and prayer times: not officially published — arrange your visit with the community first.

Three communities in one city

Jewish life in this corner of the Caucasus goes back centuries, but Baku itself drew its Jewish families mainly from the 1830s onwards. Today three communities are usually named: the Mountain Jews, whose heritage language is Juhuri; the Ashkenazim, who came from the Russian Empire; and the Georgian Jews. In central Baku their stories sit a few streets apart.

The synagogues of Baku

The Mountain Jews' synagogue

The community worshipped in a building on Ali Mardan Topchubashov Street from 1945, and in April 2011 a new synagogue opened at number 72. It serves the largest Jewish community in the city and stands in the Nasimi district, close to the centre.

The Ashkenazi and Georgian synagogue, and Chabad

At 171 Dilara Aliyeva Street a synagogue opened in March 2003, replacing an older building the community had used since 1945. Ashkenazi and Georgian Jews pray here, and the same address houses the Chabad-led Jewish Community of Baku under Rabbi Shneor Segal. If you are looking for Shabbat meals, kosher food or a minyan, this is where to ask — but confirm directly with the community rather than relying on older listings.

Other traces in the centre

The building of the Rashid Behbudov State Song Theatre went up in 1901 and served as a synagogue from 1910 to 1934. At the corner of Nizami and Samad Vurgun streets a plaque remembers the physicist Lev Landau, born in Baku and later a Nobel laureate. Together they make a short walk through the middle of town.

The Red Village (Qırmızı Qəsəbə)

Across the Qudyalchay river from Quba town is a settlement of Mountain Jews that has kept its character for generations: wide quiet streets, large family houses and several synagogues. The Six-Dome synagogue on Isaac Khanukov Street dates from 1888; the Gilaki synagogue from 1896.

The Museum of Mountain Jews

The Karchog synagogue, closed in the Soviet period, was restored and in 2020 reopened as a museum of Mountain Jewish history, the Juhuri language and community life. Check visiting times with the museum or the community before you travel.

Getting there

Quba is roughly three hours' drive north of Baku along the Caspian highway, so the Red Village is a full day out from the capital, or an easy stop if you are staying in the Quba area. The settlement lies on the far bank of the Qudyalchay; once in Quba, you simply cross the river. Go in daylight, allow two or three hours to walk the streets and see the museum, and remember that Saturday is Shabbat for the community — a quiet day, not the moment to expect visits to be arranged.

Fitting it into a trip

To be clear: we do not run a dedicated Jewish-heritage tour. Two of our tours touch part of this story:

• The Baku religious tour — about five hours, up to 12 guests, from ₼75. The route includes one of Baku's synagogues alongside mosques and churches. Guests meet in the city centre, and we can collect you from your hotel if that is agreed beforehand. Modest dress is needed in the mosques.
• The Guba & Khinalig day tour — around 12 hours, from ₼89. It drives through the centre of Quba, but the Red Village is not a stop; to visit it you will need to plan that separately.

Planning the rest of your days in the capital? See what to do in Baku, from the walled Old City to the seafront boulevard.

Visiting respectfully

• These are working houses of prayer: arrange visits in advance, especially on Shabbat and holidays.
• Dress modestly; men cover their heads inside the synagogue.
• Ask before photographing people or services.
• Kashrut, Shabbat meals and minyan times: ask the community, not an old forum post.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the synagogue in Baku?

There are two main ones: the Mountain Jews' synagogue at 72 Ali Mardan Topchubashov Street and the Ashkenazi and Georgian synagogue at 171 Dilara Aliyeva Street.

Is there a Chabad House in Baku?

Yes. The Chabad-led Jewish Community of Baku is based at the synagogue at 171 Dilara Aliyeva Street, under Rabbi Shneor Segal. Contact them in advance for Shabbat meals or kosher food.

What is the Red Village in Quba?

Qırmızı Qəsəbə, a Mountain Jewish settlement across the river from Quba, with 19th-century synagogues and the Museum of Mountain Jews, opened in 2020.

Can tourists visit the synagogues?

Usually yes, but they are active places of worship and visiting hours are not officially published, so arrange it with the community before you go.