Portuguese Synagogue, Amsterdam

Completed in 1675 for the city's Sephardic Jewish community, this large brick synagogue was one of the biggest in the world at the time and remains essentially unchanged. Its cavernous interior is lit by hundreds of candles set in brass chandeliers, as no electric lighting has been installed in the main hall. Surrounding annexes hold one of the oldest functioning Jewish libraries and a treasury of ceremonial silver and textiles. The building stands as a monument to the tolerance that drew Iberian Jews to the Dutch Republic.