In the capital of Hungary, Budapest is the largest synagogue in Europe. This is due to the fact that in Budapest the largest Jewish religious community of the Old World lives - about 100 thousand people. The main synagogue is located in the very center of the capital. It was built in the 19th century in the Byzantine-Moorish style, which caused an ambiguous reaction. The synagogue at first glance resembles a mosque with two minarets.
The Jewish community in Hungary since the 19th century has been the most active and largest in all of Europe. She also put forward the idea of creating a central synagogue in Budapest. All Jews wanted to have a magnificent building, the largest of the synagogues in the Old World.
Donation collection began in the middle of the 19th century, and the construction of a synagogue in the Jewish quarter of the city began in 1854. The synagogue project was prepared by the Austrian architect Ludwig Förster, and the Viennese architect Frides Fesl was involved in the interior decoration of the building.
Byzantine-Moorish style, far from all Jews, found understanding and approval, but that was the wish of the community - the appearance of the synagogue should resemble the Middle East.
The grand opening of the synagogue took place on September 6, 1859. Since then, it is considered the largest in the world after the Emanuel Synagogue in New York. Three naves in the synagogue are designed to receive 3 thousand believers.
In 1931, another smaller building was added to the synagogue, and this was symbolic - it was erected on the site of the house in which the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzel, was born. Now there is the Jewish Museum of Budapest.
Since the opening day, not only religious services have been held in the synagogue, but also social events. Ferenc Liszt, French composer Camille Saint-Saens and others performed their musical works in the synagogue.
