One of the most beautiful synagogues in the world, tucked into the Nachlaot neighbourhood of West Jerusalem. Built in 1901 by the Aleppo Syrian Jewish community, the Ades Synagogue is decorated with murals in the Damascene style — floral patterns, geometric borders, biblical scenes — that cover the walls and ceiling in an explosion of colour that justifies the comparison to the Sistine Chapel. The interior is intimate by synagogue standards, with a carved wooden Tevah (reader's platform) and ornate Torah ark.
Services at Ades follow the Syrian Aleppo rite, distinct from both Ashkenazi and other Sephardic traditions, and preserve liturgical melodies that go back centuries. Non-Jewish visitors are welcome outside prayer times with prior arrangement. The ongoing restoration work makes every visit something slightly different from the last.