Constructed after the Great Siege of Gibraltar, it is the third synagogue on this site.

Based on records that indicate a 1356 request for assistance in ransoming Jews that had been taken prisoner by pirates, it is known that Jews resided in Gibraltar as early as the 14th century. Gibraltar served as an exit gateway for many Jews who were expelled from Spain during the 1492 Spanish Inquisition. Jewish merchants from Italy, Amsterdam, London and Morocco were encouraged to settle in Gibraltar to provide provisions for the British military.

Isaac Nieto, a native of Livorno, Italy, went to London as a child when his father became chief rabbi of the Bevis Marks Synagogue. (displayed elsewhere on this website) In London the young Nieto received rabbinical training. He was one of the merchants who settled in Gibraltar. Nieto was the first rabbi of Gibraltar, naming his synagogue Shaar Hashamayim (Gate of Heaven). However, the synagogue is usually referred to as Esnoga Grande (The Great Synagogue).

According to Wikipedia “The entrance to the original building was on Synagogue Lane, now Serfaty’s Passage. Following its destruction in the storm of 30 December 1766, a larger synagogue was rebuilt at the same site in 1768, but with an entrance on Engineer Lane. The second building was also destroyed during attacks by the Spanish on 17 May 1781. A third building was constructed after the conclusion of the Great Siege of Gibraltar. In 1812, that version of the synagogue was damaged by fire and had to be partially rebuilt. The current vaulted ceiling of the synagogue dates from that 1812 renovation. The synagogue at 47/49 Engineer Lane has colourful tiles, marble floors, wrought iron spindles, and wooden furniture. The Great Synagogue not only remains active; it is still Gibraltar’s principal synagogue.”