he first synagogue known in Istanbul was from the 4th century and was converted to a church by the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II. The oldest synagogue still active today is from 1404; the Ahrida synagogue. The Ahrida synagogue is located in Balat, the area with the most synagogues and community buildings. Balat was already a Jewish neighborhood before the conquest of Istanbul. With two active synagogues, the Jewish hospital, an old Jewish cemetery, Balat is still an important Jewish neighborhood.
The synagogues of Balat:
- 1 Ahrida synagogue
- 2 Yanbol synagogue
- 3 Kastorya (Castoria) synagogue
- 4 Polyasan synagogue
- 5 Sigri synagogue
- 6 Eliau synagogue
- 7 Cana synagogue
- 8 Istipol synagogue
- 9 Beth Yisrael synagogue
- 10 Lonca synagogue
- 11 Gerus Sefarad synagogue
- 12 Cibali synagogue
Only Ahrida and Yanbol synagogues are still active today. There were also the Alliance Israelite Jewish School, a Funeral home, a slaughterhouse, a cemetery and a Jewish hospital in Balat. Only the Jewish hospital is still active today.
Between the 17th until the 19th centuries, Balat was a very rich Jewish neighborhood. The most common profession was Rabbinate. The Rabbis were also the teachers in the Jewish schools. Synagogues were not the only constructions of Balat's Jewry. The most important building in Balat, except the synagogues, is without any doubt the Or A Hayim Jewish hospital. This ethnical hospital is called since 2005, the Balat hospital and is used as a public hospital for everyone, Jewish or non-Jewish.
