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Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam
Religious site4.5 · 2 0484.5 · 1 512≈ 1 h 15 minEntry: ~20 €1.1 km from the center
Known as the Esnoga, this monumental seventeenth-century Sephardic synagogue was consecrated in 1675 by Jewish refugees from the Iberian Peninsula. Designed by Elias Bouman, it was once the largest synagogue in the world. Uniquely unaltered, it has neither electric lighting nor heating; fine sand covers the wooden floorboards to absorb dirt, and hundreds of wax candles flicker inside massive brass chandeliers during services.
Highlights
- Monumental 1675 Sephardic synagogue from the Dutch Golden Age
- Atmospheric candlelit interior illuminated by brass chandeliers
- Traditional sand-covered floorboards and unheated timber nave
- Ets Haim, the world's oldest functional Jewish library
Featured in itineraries
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