| If we build it, surely all those rich Jewish tourists will come and give us lots of money, just like they will do in Egypt now that the big synagogue in Alexandria is renovated. |
Herat, Afghanistan - The narrow road that leads to the Yu Aw synagogue in the ancient city of Herat in western Afghanistan is lined with traditional mud homes that, despite their rough exterior, are fine examples of centuries-old architectural dexterity.
Ghulam Sakhi, the caretaker of some of the heritage sites, leads the way, taking short quick steps and pausing every so often to share an anecdote from the area's history.
"This is why I wanted you to walk to the synagogue, so you can see the neighbourhood and how it has been changed since the war," he explained before starting the walk of a little over a kilometre between the old city centre - called Chahar Su, or Four Directions - and the synagogue, which was restored in 2009.