Istanbul has had a vibrant Jewish community for more than 1000 years.
After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmet II (“the Conqueror,” 1451-1481) encouraged immigration to repopulate the city. Jewish communities were invited to take up residence at Hasköy, on the eastern bank of the Golden Horn.
Under Sultan Beyazit II (1481-1512), Jews persecuted in Spain and Portugal were encouraged to establish themselves in the Ottoman Empire. In Istanbul the new immigrants settled mostly near the Balat quarter on the western bank of the Golden Horn where a Jewish community had existed since Byzantine times. Jews also settled in villages along the western shore of the Bosphorus.
You must make arrangements with the Chief Rabbinate for access to these Jewish-interest sites. Admission is by prior arrangement only. More…
Galata
The area around the Galata Tower in Beyoglu is of prime interest to visitors touring the Jewish interest sites. The Galataneighborhood has bustling street life, the numerous synagogues have great historical and artistic value, and all sites are within easy walking distance of one another. More…
Balat
Balat is another of the quarters in which Jews were settled after their expulsion from Spain, enlarging a community which had lived here since Byzantine times. The Ahrida Synagoguehas been beautifully restored. More…
Hasköy
Hasköy has the Jewish Home for the Aged, the Kamondo mansion, a large Jewish cemetery which includes the Kamondo mausoleum, and the imperial Ottoman pavilion called the Aynalıkavak Kasrı. More…
Şişli
Şişli (SHEESH-lee) is a prosperous residential and commercial district 2-1/2 km north of Taksim Square. Two Jewish interest sites, the Şişli Beth Israel Synagogue and the Italian Jewish Cemetery, are worth visiting. More…
Ortaköy
Though Ortaköy‘s Jewish orphanage is gone and the historic Etz Ahayim Synagogue building burnt in 1941, there is still a synagogue here, and many other historic Ottoman sites in the vicinity. More…
Haydarpaşa
Haydarpasa‘s Hemdat Israel Synagogue is among the city’s most beautiful, and is certainly the most interesting Jewish site on the eastern shore of the Bosphorus. More…
Kuzguncuk
Kuzguncuk once had a large and active Jewish community, but there are few Jewish residents today. Its synagogues are heavily used only on holidays and special occasions, though they are customarily open for worship on Shabbat. More…
Princes Islands
Jewish community life on the Princes Islands (Adalar) is limited to summertime, when synagogues on Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgaz Adası are open on Shabbat. An outing to the Princes’ Islands is a pleasant excursion with minor Jewish interest.
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