Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (Cairo)

Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue
Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue
Hebrew: בית כנסת שער השמים; Arabic: كنيس عدلي;
	The façade of the synagogue in 2013
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
Rite	Nusach Sefard
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue
Status	Active
Location
Location	17 Adly Street, Cairo
Country	Egypt
	Location of the synagogue, relative to the Nile Delta
Geographic coordinates	30°03′05″N 31°14′37″E / 30.05139°N 31.24361°E
Architecture
Architect(s)	Maurice Youssef Cattaui; Eduard Matasek;
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Ottoman; Art Deco;
Groundbreaking	1899
Completed	1908

The Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת שער השמים, lit. 'Gate of Heaven'; Arabic: كنيس عدلي), also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 17 Adly Street in Cairo, Egypt.^[2]

History

Its long-time leader was Chief Rabbi Chaim Nahum. In 2008, the synagogue marked its 100th anniversary.^[3] The synagogue was built in a style evoking ancient Egyptian temples, and was once the largest building on the boulevard.^[4]

Work commenced on the synagogue in 1899 and it was inaugurated in 1908,^[5] at a time when there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s.^[3]^[5] Today the community numbers approximately six members, most of them older women.^[3]^[6]

The building houses a collection of a few hundred books, ranging in age from the 1500s to contemporary times, concerning or relevant to the history of Jews in Egypt.

Although it is considered a Sephardic synagogue, many Ashkenazi Jews were members of the congregation and contributed to its construction and upkeep.^[7]

The synagogue underwent minor exterior renovations in 2007.

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.^[4]