The Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, located in Safed, Israel, was built in memory of Rabbi Isaac Luria, (1534 - 1572), who was known as the "Ari". It dates from the late 16th-century, it being constructed several years after the death of Luria, a great kabbalist who arrived in Safed in 1570. A Hebrew inscription above the entrance lintel reads: "How awe-inspiring is this place, the synagogue of the Ari of blessed memory.” The synagogue is known for its colorful and ornate Holy Ark.