Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (Cairo)
The Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue, also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue, is a synagogue, located at 17 Adly Street in Cairo, Egypt.
History
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.Work commenced on the synagogue in 1899 and it was inaugurated in 1908, at a time when there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s. Today the community numbers approximately six members, most of them older women.
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.
The synagogue underwent minor exterior renovations in 2007.