In 19th century Derbent the upper, oldest part of the city, closer to
the citadel of Naryn-Kala, was primarily inhabited by
Muslims, the central, flat part by
Mountain Jews, and the lower part, near the sea by Armenians and Russians. The Kele-Numaz synagogue was opened in 1914 and is under the supervision of the
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR). including the Kele-Numaz. In February 1904 the Mountain Jewish community petitioned the city authorities to allocate land for the construction of a new synagogue. Above the main entrance of the Jewish community center a sign in Hebrew says, "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst."
2024 terrorist attack On 23 June 2024, the synagogue was
attacked and burned to the ground in a terrorist attack. Days after the attack, it was reported that the congregation plans to rebuild the synagogue. ==See also==