Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
Galata, Tophane & Karaköy
İSTANBUL MODERN
| MUSEUM
JEWISH MUSEUM OF TURKEY
OFFLINE MAP
| MUSEUM
(500 Yil Vakfi Türk Musevileri, The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews;
www.muze500.com
;
Perçemli Sokak, Karaköy; admission 10; 10am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 2pm Fri &
Sun; Karaköy)
Housed in the ornate 19th-century Zullfaris synagogue near the Galata
Bridge, this museum was established in 2001 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the
arrival of the Sephardic Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Its modest but extremely well-inten-
tioned collection comprises photographs, papers and objects that document the mostly har-
monious coexistence between Jews and the Muslim majority in this country.
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 feelings'. Alas, this enlightened state didn't last through the
centuries, and Jewish Turks were made to feel considerably 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 re-
cently Islamist terrorists have bombed synagogues on a number of occasions. Despite these
recent events, the museum chooses to focus on the positive rather than the negative.
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 synagogues in İstanbul, all of which are Sephard-
ARAB MOSQUE
OFFLINE MAP
| MOSQUE
