Casa de Yamín Benarroch, Melilla

Casa de Yamín Benarroch, in Melilla, is a modernist townhouse that doubles as a private residence and the seat of the Or Zaruah synagogue on its upper floor. The building stands on Calle López Moreno, in the heart of the city's Modernist quarter, and is protected as part of Melilla's Historic Ensemble.

How do you get there?

Melilla is a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, reachable by ferry from Almería or Málaga, or by direct flights from mainland Spain. The house sits in the central Modernista district, a short walk from Plaza de España, the city's main landmark. Walking this neighborhood is the best way to see the building anyway, since it stands among dozens of early 20th-century modernist and eclectic façades.

Who built it?

The design is dated September 1924 and signed by Enrique Nieto, the leading architect of Melilla's modernist movement and a former student of Antoni Gaudí, responsible for dozens of buildings across the city. Construction ran from 1925 to 1927 under contractor Lázaro Torres. Vicente Maeso handled the decorative work and Vicente Palomo the ironwork. The finished building rises three levels: a ground floor and two upper floors.

What will you see?

The façade, painted in warm yellow tones, follows a neo-Moorish style - a strand of Melilla's modernism that drew heavily on Orientalist motifs alongside European Art Nouveau forms. The main floor originally housed the residence of the Benarroch family, while the top floor holds the Or Zaruah synagogue - "Divine Light."

Yamín Benarroch commissioned the synagogue himself, in memory of his father. Its interior is often ranked among the most beautiful in Europe and the finest in Spain: a richly carved wooden pulpit, large hanging lamps, stained-glass windows, and a separate women's gallery, following traditional Sephardic synagogue layout.

This isn't a museum piece - it remains an active place of worship for Melilla's Jewish community, one of the oldest and best-preserved in Spain, still centered on this same building nearly a century after it opened.

When should you visit?

Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable temperatures for exploring modernist Melilla on foot, and softer light flatters the ochre and yellow façades typical of the district. Access to the synagogue's interior is usually limited to set hours or requires checking in advance with the local Jewish community - worth confirming before your visit if seeing the prayer hall, not just the exterior, is the goal.

Why does this building matter?

Casa de Yamín Benarroch is one of the clearest examples of Melilla's particular brand of modernism at the turn of the 20th century - a fusion of European architectural fashion with Orientalist ornament and the city's multicultural history. It also stands as a record of the wealth and standing of Melilla's Jewish community at the time, and the combination of private residence and synagogue under one roof is unusual even by Spanish standards.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Or Zaruah synagogue? Yes, though access depends on opening hours and current arrangements with Melilla's Jewish community. It's best to check locally or with the tourist office before visiting.

Who designed the building? Enrique Nieto, the most prominent architect of Melilla's modernist period and a former student of Antoni Gaudí.

How old is the building? It was built between 1925 and 1927, based on a design dated September 1924 - so it's nearly a century old.

What sets it apart from other modernist buildings in Melilla? It combines a private family residence with a working synagogue - a rare pairing of sacred and domestic space - and its neo-Moorish façade stands out against the more purely European modernist buildings nearby.