Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague

Nestled within the heart of Prague, the Old Jewish Cemetery offers a solemn yet profound window into the history of the city's Jewish community. This hallowed ground, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, has served as the final resting place for generations of Jewish residents from the 15th to the 18th century.

The cemetery is renowned for its remarkable density of graves, with tombstones tightly packed and layered upon each other, a testament to the limited space accorded to the Jewish community of the time. It is estimated that the cemetery contains over 12,000 tombstones, with experts believing that as many as 100,000 individuals could be buried here, layered in graves up to 10 levels deep.

Among the sea of matzevot, or grave markers, are the tombs of prominent figures such as Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known as the Maharal, who is a legendary figure in Jewish mysticism and folklore. The cemetery's age and the significance of those interred within its confines contribute to its status as a site of pilgrimage and reflection.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is part of the Jewish Museum in Prague, which preserves the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people in Bohemia and Moravia. Visitors to the cemetery can also explore the surrounding Jewish Quarter, with its synagogues and historical buildings, to gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish experience in Prague.