Embroidered Ark Curtain (Parokhet) from the Ottoman Empire

The parokhet is the curtain drawn before the holy ark (Aron Kodesh) of the synagogue, behind which the Torah scrolls are kept, echoing the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the Temple. It is one of the major textile pieces of synagogue furnishings, often given as a gift. In the Ottoman Empire, these curtains frequently feature a central embroidered gold niche, framed by columns and floral vases, on velvet grounds, in the tradition of Sephardic and Ottoman gold embroidery. Their architectural decoration recalls the façade of a sacred building and confers upon the ark its solemnity.