Shared description
The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue on Cheetham Hill Road
The former Spanish and Portuguese synagogue on Cheetham Hill Road was built in 1874 to serve the growing Sephardi Jewish population in Manchester. It is the oldest surviving synagogue building in Manchester.
The synagogue was built in the Moorish Revival style by the noted Manchester architect Edward Salomons. The style, a homage to the architecture of Moorish Spain, perhaps seemed particularly fitting for the home of a Sephardic congregation. The two tiers of horseshoe windows on the facade are emblematic of the style, and the recessed doorway and arcade of five windows on the floor above the entrance are particularly decorative.
Inside, a horseshoe arch frames the heichal and polychrome columns support the galleries. The synagogue was designated as a grade II* listed building by English Heritage in 1974 (English Heritage Building ID: 387990 Link
British Listed Buildings)
As the Jewish population migrated away from the Cheetham area, moving further north to Prestwich and Whitefield, the congregation dwindled and the synagogue, like others in the area, became redundant and was closed in 1981. It has since been completely restored and now houses the Manchester Jewish Museum which first opened in 1984.
Link Manchester Jewish Museum
The synagogue was built in the Moorish Revival style by the noted Manchester architect Edward Salomons. The style, a homage to the architecture of Moorish Spain, perhaps seemed particularly fitting for the home of a Sephardic congregation. The two tiers of horseshoe windows on the facade are emblematic of the style, and the recessed doorway and arcade of five windows on the floor above the entrance are particularly decorative.
Inside, a horseshoe arch frames the heichal and polychrome columns support the galleries. The synagogue was designated as a grade II* listed building by English Heritage in 1974 (English Heritage Building ID: 387990 Link
British Listed Buildings)As the Jewish population migrated away from the Cheetham area, moving further north to Prestwich and Whitefield, the congregation dwindled and the synagogue, like others in the area, became redundant and was closed in 1981. It has since been completely restored and now houses the Manchester Jewish Museum which first opened in 1984.
Link
Manchester Jewish Museumby David Dixon
Created: Wed, 25 Nov 2015, Updated: Wed, 25 Nov 2015
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