Halakha Mazmur 130:1: Mishneh Torah, Fasts & Mishneh Torah, Prayer and the Priestly Blessing

And the prayer leader begins and prays until, "Who redeems Israel" (the seventh blessing of the daily Amidah prayer). He [then] says the Remembrances and the Shofarot similar to the trouble. And he [also] says, "In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me" (Psalms 120:1); "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, etc." (Psalms 121:1); "Out of the depths I have called You, O Lord" (Psalms 130:1); [and] "A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints” (Psalms 102:1)."

Place where the worshiper prays. He should stand in a low place and turn his face to the wall. Windows or doors towards Jerusalem should be opened, and he should stand facing them when he prays, as it is said, "Now his windows were open in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem" (Daniel 6:11). There should be one fixed place set apart for prayer. It should not be recited in a ruin nor at the rear of a synagogue, unless the worshiper turns his face towards the synagogue. It is forbidden to remain seated at the side of one who is standing in prayer, or pass in front of him unless he has moved away from the worshiper to a distance of four cubits.

How are the people seated in synagogues? The elders sit facing the congregation with their backs to the Shrine. The people are seated in rows, one behind the other, the front of each row being at the rear of the one before it, so that all the people are facing the Shrine, the elders and the desk. When the reader stands up to recite the (Amidah) prayer, he stands on the floor before the Tebah^*Elevated platform, with the desk on it for reading the Torah, rearward of him, the reader standing near to the Ark (Shrine). and, like the rest of the congregation, his face is turned to the Shrine.