6. Portuguese Synagogue

OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT.   This synagogue, completed in 1675, was designed by Elias Bouwman and took Jerusalem's Temple of Solomon as its inspiration. The structure was a refuge long hoped-for by its congregation, descendants of 15th-century Spanish (or Sephardic) Jews who fled to Portugal to escape religious persecution. These people were later forced to become Christians, and their descendants eventually moved to tolerant Amsterdam, which was at war with Spain, in hopes of living freely as Jews. To downplay their connection to the enemy (and their native land), they called themselves 'Portuguese.' The synagogue is notable, now as then, for its brass chandeliers, architectural detailing, and exterior wooden piles, which provide a firm foundation in Amsterdam's shifting, sandy soil.   (© 10Best)

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