Seen in Cairo: Adly synagogue aka Sha’ar Hashamayim synagogue

Seen in Cairo on two busy and buzzy two different afternoons weeks apart including Tuesday afternoon, Adly synagogue aka Sha’ar Hashamayim synagogue standing high during the Hanukkah in the Egyptian Capital’s Downtown during Hanukkah.

Adly synagogue reminds us of a bygone era 

Designed by Jewish Maurice Joseph Cattaui and was built by Catholic architect Eduard Matasek. The project started in 1899 and was funded by wealthy Egyptian and foreign Jewish families living in the country above them the Cattaui family and Mosseri family.

It was inaugurated in 1908 serving Sephardic Jews. 

Sha’ar Hashmayim means in Hebrew “Gate of heaven” but it is commonly known as Adly, which is actually now better than Gate of Heaven because that literal translation reminds me of the infamous cult. It also had another old Arabic name which is “Ismailia synagogue”. 

Adly is the name of the street it is located and when it was inaugurated, it was its biggest building before being dwarfed by more modern buildings.  

The gate to the Gate of Heaven

Architecturally, it is distinguished by its style merging Jewish, Ottoman and Ancient Egyptian elements with Art Deco.

It is the only active synagogue in Cairo currently for reasons I think we do not need to recount over and over but it should not have happened.

Serving very few remaining old Jewish women, the synagogue also serves foreign Jews too.

According to the word on the block, you need special permission to visit due to security reasons

I hope one day to visit it inshallah and do one of the Kodak Agfa presents/Quick Camera Tour about Cairo’s only remaining active synagogue because it deserves one for sure.

Photos were taken by iPhone 7 Plus on the go from the car.