Rite Sephardic Opened 1899 Architect Eduard Matasek | Completed 1899 Affiliation Orthodox Judaism | |
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Location 17 Adly Street, Cairo
Cairo, Egypt Status Active on High Holidays Address 17 Adly, Al Fawalah, Abdeen, Cairo Governorate, Egypt Similar Ben Ezra Synagogue, Maimonides Synagogue, Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, The Hanging Church, Babylon Fortress | ||
The Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (lit. Gate of Heaven) is located in Cairo, Egypt. The synagogue was also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue.
Its long-time leader was Chief Rabbi Chaim Nahum. In 2008, the synagogue marked its 100th anniversary. The synagogue was built in a style evoking ancient Egyptian temples, and was once the largest building on the boulevard.
When the synagogue opened in 1899, there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s. Today the community numbers 30-40 members, most of them older women.
Although it is considered a Sephardic synagogue, many Ashkenazi Jews were members of the congregation and contributed to its construction and upkeep.
In February 2010, a booby-trapped suitcase was hurled at the synagogue from a nearby hotel. The suitcase caught fire, but no one was hurt and no damage was reported.