Dohány Street Synagogue

The Dohány Street Synagogue, also known as the Great Synagogue or Tabakgasse Synagogue, is a historical edifice located in Erzsébetváros, Budapest's 7th district. It is Europe's biggest synagogue, seating 3,000 people, and a Neolog Judaism center. The synagogue was erected in the Moorish Revival style between 1854 and 1859, with the décor based mostly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). The synagogue's Viennese architect, Ludwig Förster, considered that no particularly Jewish building could be recognized, and hence chose "architectural forms that have been adopted by eastern ethnic groups that are linked to the Israelite people, and in especially the Arabs".

This Budapest structure is roughly 173 by 87 feet in size and was planned as a true basilica with two balconies. The western front contains arched windows with carved stone and brickwork embellishments in the city's heraldic colors of blue, yellow, and red. Above the entrance, a stained-glass rose window rises, and the entryway is flanked on both sides by two copper-domed towers with large arched windows. The Holy Ark is located on the east wall, facing the bimah. The choir appears above the Holy Ark, and the women's galleries are on the top floors. The 5,000-tube organ, which was built the same year as the synagogue, has been played by musicians such as Franz Liszt and Camille Saint-Saens.

Location: Budapest, Hungary