In 1580, the community, with the assistance of a Turkish benefactor, built a synagogue in El Cortijo within a building called Velika Avlija.

By the end of the 16th century, the structure housing Velika Avlija became known as the Old Jewish Cathedral, Sarajevo's first synagogue.

[1] Next door is the New Synagogue (Novi Hram) serving as an art gallery owned by the Jewish community of Sarajevo.

[2] By the following year, enough Ashkenazim had arrived to form an association; the first Ashkenazi rabbi for the Bosnian community was Bernhard Buchwald.

[2] Ultimately, the changes he made at the request of the provincial government were incorporated in the final design by Czech architect Karel Pařík.

Populations of Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews peacefully co-existed with their Christian and Muslim neighbors in Sarajevo and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1964, for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the main prayer room was moved to the upper level, previously the women's galleries.