Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understand
Jewish İstanbul
The history of the Jews in Turkey is as long as it is fascinating. In the late 15th century, Isaac Sarfati, Chief Rabbi
of Edirne, wrote the following to brethren in Germany: 'Brothers and teachers, friends and acquaintances! I, Isaac
Sarfati, proclaim to you that Turkey is a land wherein nothing is lacking, and where, if you will, all shall yet be
well with you… Here, every man may dwell at peace under his own vine and fig tree.' At around the same time,
Sultan Beyazıt II proclaimed '…the Jews of Spain should not be refused, but rather be welcomed with warm feel-
ings'. Alas, this enlightened state didn't last through the centuries, and Jewish Turks were made to feel consider-
ably less welcome when racially motivated 'wealth taxes' were introduced in 1942 and violence against Jews and
other minorities was unleashed in 1955, prompting many families to flee the country. More recently, Islamist ter-
rorists have bombed synagogues on a number of occasions.
Approximately 23,000 Jews currently live in Turkey, with most residing in İstanbul. Sephardic Jews make up
approximately 96% of this number, while the rest are primarily Ashkenazic. Today there are a total of 16 syn-
agogues in İstanbul, all of which are Sephardic except for one. For a list of these, see
www.jewish-europe.net/tur-
2
Galata Tower
The cylindrical Galata Tower stands sentry over the approach to 'new' İstanbul. Construc-
ted in 1348, it was the tallest structure in the city for centuries, and it still dominates the
skyline north of the Golden Horn (Haliç). Its vertiginous upper balcony offers 360-degree
views of the city, but we're not convinced that the view (though spectacular) justifies the
steep admission cost.
(Galata Kulesi;
www.galatatower.net
; Galata Meydanı, Galata; admission 12;
LANDMARK
9am-8pm;
Karaköy)
3
Galata Mevlevi Museum
The
semahane
(whirling-dervish hall) at the centre of this
tekke
(dervish lodge) was erected
in 1491 and renovated in 1608 and 2009. It is part of a complex including a
meydan-ı şerif
(courtyard),
çeşme
(drinking fountain),
türbesi
(tomb) and
hamuşan
(cemetery). The oldest
MUSEUM
