Fodor's Expert Review Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue

Over the centuries, during Europe's many waves of persecution and expulsion, Jews sought refuge in Muslim lands such as Egypt, where they were protected as People of the Book. The Jewish community lived in peace alongside Muslims and Copts for generations, and it was only in the 20th century, with the founding of the state of Israel and the 1952 revolution’s privatization, that political and cultural tensions arose. Although not open to the general public, it's still worth noting this synagogue, an unusual concrete block with a subtle art-nouveau floral motif (the stained-glass windows are rumored to have been done by Tiffany). Financed by some of the Jewish community’s most powerful men, it was designed by architect Maurice Cattaui and erected in 1899.