[2][3] The earlier synagogue was bombed and destroyed by Napoleon's army in 1798, during the French invasion of Egypt.

[1] Construction for the new, current synagogue began in 1836 with contributions from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty[4] and was completed following assistance from Sir Moses Haim Montefiore.

[1] The synagogue was closed for the 5773 (2012) High Holidays because of security concerns,[5] and subsequently fell into a state of disrepair.

In 2017, the Egyptian government announced a project to restore the synagogue in a growing move of keeping its Jewish heritage alive.

[8][9] Although services are still held in the synagogue, it now caters to a very small community due to the dwindling number of Jews in Alexandria.