Editing Synagogue (section)

===Seating===
Originally, synagogues were made devoid of much furniture, the Jewish congregants in [[Spain]], the [[Maghreb]] (North Africa), [[Babylonia]], the [[Land of Israel]] and [[Yemen]] having a custom to sit upon the floor, which had been strewn with mats and cushions, rather than upon chairs or benches. In other European towns and cities, however, Jewish congregants would sit upon chairs and benches.<ref>[[Maimonides]], [[Mishne Torah]] (''Hil. Tefillah'' 11:4), who wrote: "Synagogues and houses of study must be treated with respect. They are swept and sprinkled to lay the dust. In Spain and in the Maghreb (North Africa), in Babylon and in the Holy Land, it is customary to kindle lamps in the synagogues and to spread mats on the floor on which the worshipers sit. In the land of Edom (i.e. Christian countries) they sit in synagogues upon chairs."</ref> Today, the custom has spread in all places to sit upon chairs and benches.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Until the 19th century, in an [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] synagogue, all seats most often faced the Torah Ark. In a [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] synagogue, seats were usually arranged around the perimeter of the sanctuary, but when the worshipers stood up to pray, everyone faced the Ark.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}