The Jewish community in Istanbul used 15 neighborhoods to live in but not all at once. Because of disasters, fires or socaial reasons, there was a migration between the different districts. As there were no gethos in Istanbul communities from different ethnical or religious background were living in the same neighborhood. According to the majority, the neighborhood would be called as Jewish, Orthodox, Armenian or Muslim.
Different Jewish congregations would not get along well and every congregation would have its own synagogue, school, social foundati,on etc. etc. It is very common to have two synagogue side by side. When we talk about Jewish buildings, the first word which comes to mind is of course synagogue. The root of the word synagogue comes from old Greek and it means to gather around, to unite. But in Istanbul, there are other buildings as important as the synagogues for the Jewish community. The most important of them is the Chief Rabbinate. Then there is the Or A Hayim Jewish hospital, the Zülfaris synagogue used as the Jewish museum, the Goztepe cultural center, the Ulus martyrdom, there are many buildings in Istanbul forming the Jewry worth visiting. Except local incidents mostly provoqued by other non-Muslim minorities, there are and has been no ethnical discrimination against the Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire or Turkey. From the Spanish Inquisition until the German Holocaust Jews were always welcome in Turkey.
In Istanbul, the synagogues were active from time to time or always depending the size of their congregation. They were named after the street or district they were built in or after the home country or home town of the congregation constructing the synagogue. There also were synagogues named after the profession of their founder. It is impossible to find the architectural style of the synagogues. Earthquakes, fires, other natural disasters, restorations and reconstructions changed completely the architectural style of the synagogues. The only characteristic they had in common was that they were all constructed in a garden or in a yard, in the middle of the neighborhood.
BALAT
The 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. read more
HASKOY
Haskoy was, after Balat, the second biggest neighborhood in Istanbul. As jack de Leon pointed very well, Haskoy is the opposite district of Balat. It was on the opposite shores of the Golden Horn. There were Jewish settlements on Haskoy before the conquest, before 1453. The neighborhood was divided into Jewish districts like Abaso, Lakaye, Maalem, Kecici Pisi, Arabacilar, Kalaylibahce. There were 12 active synagogues in Haskoy in 1912, but there were more at the end of the 16th, beginning of the 17th century:
- 1 Kordova
- 2 Seritci
- 3 Asghar
- 4 Kalaycibahce
- 5 Maalem
- 6 Mizrahi
- 7 Parmakkapi
- 8 Sarayiko
- 9 Sinyora
- 10 Yeni Mahalle
- 11 Ciksali
- 12 Mayor
- 13 Mikra
- 14 Hamon
- 15 Naftali
- 16 Cosdina
Except those 16 synagogue, there is one synagogue in the Jewish elderly home in Haskoy, another one in the Darülaceze (state hospice). In 1940's most of those synagogues were closed and converted to factories or warehouses. Today only the Maalem and the Caraim Mikva synagogues are active in Haskoy. The two synagogues in the elderly homes are also active, even if they don't have a congregation. The area has also 2 cemeteries and a mausoleum belonging to Istanbul's Jewry.read more
17 The Jewish Elderly Home's synagogue
The Jewish Elderly Home called ihtiyarlar Yurdu was founded during the 1st World War help the elderly among the Russian and Polish Jews who migrated to Istanbul. Those people came to Istanbul to escape the consequences of the war. In 1915, two women, Rozi and Fremandi bought a house and converted it to an elderly home. The members of the nearby community were bringing food on daily basis to the elderly. The efforts of two ladies gave its fruit and in 1961, the building used by the Haskoy Jewish school was given to the organization. Until 1994, this building was used as the Jewish elderly home. In 1994 the restoration of the building started section by section. In 2005 new sections were added to the old building. Instead of having dormitories, they transformed the complex so everyone could have a double room. For those who can afford, single rooms are also available. Today there are 80 elderly between the ages of 75 to 90 living in the home.
Like very building used an s a living space of the Istanbul Jewry, the elderly home has also a room reserved for praying. The synagogue of the home, a small room decorated as a synagogue, with an Ehal and a small Tevah was restored by the members of the Ashkenazi community the 5 February 1998. Small changes were made during the restoration work of 2005.
18 Darülaceze's synagogue
Darülaceze or State Hospice is a foundation who takes care of the old and homeless as well as the orphans. The decision to build a hospice was taken by the Sultan Abdülhamid II. With the tickets they printed and auction organized, a donation of 10 thousands lira made by the Sultan, very soon the financial needs were met. The construction of the building started on the 10 November 1892. The building was constructed by the architect Vasilaki Yanko and coasted 58 thousands lira. The opening ceremony took place 31 August 1895, on the coronation anniversary of the Sultan Abdülhamid II. The keys to the building were presented to the Sultan by Halil Rifat Pasa. In 1903 the children section, in 1904 the laundry were added to the complex. Today there are 20 buildings in the complex of the Darülaceze, among them a church, a mosque and a synagogue.
The synagogue was constructed in the Darülaceze by the request of the Chief Rabbinate in 1900. The opening ceremony took place on 24 May 1903. Two Torahs were carried from the Parmakkapi synagogue to Darülaceze by a cortege of 300 people. The temple was restored in 1990 and is still active.
There also are in Haskoy two Jewish cemeteries; one Sepharads and one Caraim. The Sepharad cemetery is the oldest active cemetery in Istanbul. This cemetery has been in use for over 400 years. In time the area occupied by the cemetery has changed and became smaller. During the construction of the Halic Bridge and the highway, hundreds of graves have been moved. The Midrash of the cemetery was restored in 2005.
The second cemetery in Haskoy is the only active Caraim cemetery in Istanbul. The two cemeteries are located next to each other. The Caraim cemetery was built by the order of Sultan Mahmud II. This proves that the Sultan accepted the Caraim Jews as a minority and not as a congregation belonging to the Jewish community.
There is also a mausoleum in Haskoy's Caraim cemetery. The Kamondo mausoleum. The Kamondo were a rich Jewish family living in Istanbul. They came to Istanbul from Italy at the end of the 18th century. They played a very important role in the history of Istanbul's Jews in the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, for political reasons the family was obliged to move to Paris.
Abraham Salomon Kamondo never forgot Istanbul, his birth city. This is why he requested in his will to be buried in Istanbul. After his death a mausoleum was constructed in the Haskoy cemetery for him and his body was brought to Istanbul and buried in this mausoleum. Unfortunately, the mausoleum is in ruins today. Abraham Salomon Kamondo was buried here in 1873 by military ceremony with the participation of the Sultan Abdülaziz. The mausoleum, constructed in an eclectic style, has also a praying room. With the construction of the Golden Horn Bridge, the mausoleum was left outside the borders of the new Haskoy cemetery and the praying room was destroyed. The building is 10 meters large, 9 meters wide and 5 meters high. Despite all the protection measures, the marble and copper pieces were stolen. The mausoleum is once more being restored in 2010.
ORTAKOY
The old name of the area was Arkheion. During Byzantine period, the area was called Domianu because of the monastery constructed here. The cape of Ortakoy, where the mosque is located today, was called Kleidon (the key of the Bosporus.) Later on, the area was called Ayios Phocas. Even the church barring the same name is from the 19th century, the Greek Orthodox lived in this area since the Byzantine period. The first village was built in this area by Cabica Larius. The first church named Ayios Phocas and gave its name to the area was constructed by Vacil from Macedonia.
Ortakoy has a hamam built by the great architect Sinan in the early 1570's. The hamam was built for Hüsrev Kethuda and is called the Kethuda hamam. The street facade of the hamam was hidden by a stucco house constructed against it. read more
Today in Ortakoy, there are 1 synagogue, 3 cemeteries and 1 Jewish school. The buildings forming the highlights of the Istanbul's Jewry located in Ortakoy are:
KUZGUNCUK
The district of Kuzguncuk is after the first suspension bridge, on the Asian side. Incicyan claimed at the end of the 19th century that the name of the district comes from the Greek name Kosinitza. Evliya celebi said that the name Kuzguncuk comes from Kuzgun Baba, an important personage living in this area during the Sultan Mehmed 2nd period. They both agree that the name Kuzguncuk was given at the end of the 15th century.
The village was Jewish. At the end of the 18th century, mostly Jews were living in the area. There were also some Greek and Armenian families. The Armenian population started to increase in the 19th century. In 1914, there were 70 Muslim, 250 Greek Orthodox, 1600 Armenian and 400 Jewish families in the district. In 1992, the village's population reached 15000. There were only 25 Greek Orthodox, 17 Jewish and 6 Armenian families left. The migration to Istanbul and the difference of income changed the mosaic of the village. read more
There are in Kuzguncuk 3 Jewish sites:
Kuzguncuk and Ortakoy, two neighborhoods each located on one continent, on different side of Istanbul, are both districts where the religions meet. In Ortakoy, in less than 100 square meters, there are 2 synagogues, a church and a mosque. In Kuzguncuk, a church and a mosque are constructed side by side.
SISLI
At the end of the 19th century, after the construction of the Dolmabahce palace, this small Armenian district's population started to grow. For the Istanbul's aristocracy coming near the Sultan's residence was very important. The imperial family was encouraging people to move to the areas next to the palace. There are not many Jewish building in the area. Only a synagogue, the Beth Israel synagogue and a cemetery, the Italian Jewish cemetery.
1 Beth Israel synagogue
The Beth Israel synagogue was opened the second day of pass-over. The architect of the synagogue were Fram Deragobyan and Jak Pardo. The building used today as the synagogue was a yarn factory. The building was converted to a synagogue between 1950 and 1952. The sign in Hebrew on the exterior facade of the synagogue, Kal Kados Beth Israel was written by Fram Derogabyan, one of the architects of the temple. He explained many years later in an interview that he was not satisfied with the work of a professional calligrapher and decided to do it himself.read more
The five reliefs on each side of the main entrance represent the ten commandments. The main entrance door is made of wood. The stairs going to the Azara were at first constructed inside the synagogue. After a few years the stairs were moved outside of the main building.
The building was bought for 32 thousands liras by the Jewish community in 1946. Because of financial difficulties the construction of the temple started in 1950. The area behind the temple was left as a garden because of the same financial difficulties. Only in 1960, the additional building was constructed at the back of the synagogue. This newer building is used today as a social center.
The Beth Israel synagogue is a new, small temple, with no historical value. The reason this synagogue is well known is the attack made to the temple in 2003.
"No bombs can damage the unity of the Turkish Nation" said our Chief rabbi in the opening ceremony of the Beth Israel synagogue.
At 9:22 on the Saturday morning of 15 November 2003, a truck explode in front of the temple. The security guards and Yoel Ücler, a young Jewish boy helping the security were the first martyrs. The Chief Rabbi, Izak Haleva and the president opf the community Bension Pinto were also praying in the Beth Israel synagogue at the time of the attack. They survived the attack without any injuries. A total of 22 buildings were damaged because of the attack. 6 among them were heavily damaged. The street of the synagogue could only be reopened 6 months after the attack; the 15 March 2004.
The son of our Chief Rabbi Yasef Halleva was severly injured during the attack. He said it took him 1 year to come back to a synagogue. The attacks of 2003, killed 23 people and wounded 302. Most of them were not Turkish.
2 Italian Jewish Cemetery
The style of the Italian Jewish cemetery is a little different from other Jewish cemeteries. The gravestones look like small constructions, The citations are in French or Italian. The graves are decorated with statues like in the 19th century Italian cemeteries. The cemetery was opened with the permition of the Sultan Abdülaziz in 1866. This means the Ottoman gouvernement would accept the Italian Jewish community as a minority independent from the Chief Rabbinate.
GALATA
The areas of Galata and Pera, called today Beyoglu are the most important Jewish neighborhoods. The name
of the area comes from the old Greek word "galateos" which means milkmen. In early Byzantine periods,
there were in the area cow farms and milk producers.
The Jewish history in the area goes back to the 5th century when the Byzantine emperor Theodosius 2nd
started to exile the Jews outside the city walls to Galata. In the 11th century, more Jews were exiled
to the area. The Jews living in the neighborhood were massacred in 1204 by the crusaders.
In 1890, there were 500 Jewish families living in Galata. The Jewish population of the neighborhood
grew with the inner migrations from Balat and Haskoy. The same population started to shrink after 1950
when people started to move to sisli, Ortakoy of to Israel. But most of the important buildings of
Istanbul's Jewry are still located in Galata today. There are 3 active synagogues in the area. At the
beginning of the 19th century, there were 7 synagogues in the neighborhood:
- 1 Zülfaris synagogue
- 2 Knesset (Apollon) synagogue
- 3 Kal de los Francos (Italian) synagogue
- 4 Ashkenazi synagogue
- 5 Tofre Begadim (Tailors) synagogue
- 6 Neve Salom synagogue
There were several foundations in Galata:
- 1 Shalom news paper
- 2 Orfelinato
- 3 Yildirim sport club
- 4 Chief Rabbinate
- 5 Maten Beseter
The Galata district is the most important neighborhood for the Jewish community living in Istanbul today. First of all, the most important building of the community, the Chief rabbinate is in the area. There are 3 very important synagogues still active, one of them being the only Ashkenazi synagogue active in Istanbul. The Zülfaris synagogue was converted to the Jewish Museum and the Tofre Begadim synagogue was converted to Schneider temple art gallery. read more
YENIKOY
The Yenikoy Jewish congregation included Jewish families living in the Yenikoy, Arnavutkoy, Kurucesme and Bebek districts. The European shores of the Bosporus developed quicker than the Asian shores. Yenikoy in Turkish means new village. According to Evliya celebi, the area is called new village because it was populated in the 16th century, during the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent period. The ancient name of the area was "Cautes Bucchae" (the rock of Bucchae,) or Neo Polis (the new city.) It is also possible that the Turkish name is the translation of the ancient name of the district. Another theory about the name of the village is that the village was founded by settlers coming from the Geni village in Romania, and they named the area after their place of origin, Geni village.
The writer Edmondo de Amicis described Yenikoy in his book as follow:
"After Istinye, the Bosporus enlarges and we see a view more magnificent than what we have seen until now. In front of us the village of Yenikoy, built at the bottom of a hill covered with vines and pine trees."
According to Evliya celebi, an Ottoman traveler from the 16th century, Yenikoy was a Greek Orthodox fisherman village in the 16th century and had no Jewish presence. There neither are any documents in the archives of the Jewish community pointing of Jewish settlement in the area prior to 19th century. Only in the second half of the 19th century and specially rich Jewish families started to use Yenikoy as a summer resort area. In 1957, there were only 5 Jewish families left in Yenikoy.
Only the Rabbi Eliyezer de Toledo refers to a synagogue in Bebek, but there are no records in the archives of the Jewish community about a temple in this area.
Arnavutkoy was the oldest Jewish neighborhood on the upper Bosporus. From the second quarter of the 17th century, there was a Jewish settlement in Arnavutkoy. The European shores of the Bosporus after the Ortakoy neighborhood were not very popular because of transportation difficulties. In the second half of the 19th century, with the use of steam boats on the Bosporus, the migration to those areas started. One of the biggest architects of the Jewish presence on the upper Bosporus was, without any doubts, the Kamondo family. The family bought a house in Yenikoy in the second half of the 19th century; they also constructed a synagogue in the area and a school with the help of the Alliance Israelite Universelle.
The Alliance Israelite Universelle was founded in 1860, in Paris by Adolph Cremieux. The main purpose of the foundation was to strengthen the European Jewish communities against the raising Anti-Semitic movement by giving to the Jewish children a modern and solid education. Active at first in the European countries, the foundation started to show it presence in the Ottoman Empire. The Alliance Israelite Universelle spent 11 million Francs for the schools opened all around Europe. Only in the Ottoman Empire, 74 boys' schools and 44 girls' schools were opened.
There are, in Yenikoy area, two synagogues, one of which is still active:
2 Etz A Hayim synagogue of Arnavutkoy
KADIKOY
The Jewish settlements started to move from Kuzguncuk in the middle of the 19th century. With the growth of the community in this area, a second synagogue was opened in this area in Caddebostan. The two synagogues directions were joined under the Hemdat Israel foundation. Later, a Talmud Torah school was opened by the Hemdat Israel foundation. The Talmud Torah teaches young Jewish children Hebrew and religion. The purpose is to increase the interest of the youngster to the religion. There are also two cemeteries under the control of the foundation. The Aci Badem Jewish cemetery and a section of the Nakkas Tepe cemetery in Kuzguncuk belong to the Kadikoy congregation.
1 Hemdat Israel synagogue
The temple located in the Yeldegirmeni district, was built in the 1880's to answer the needs of some 2000 Jewish families living in the area. The temple takes its name from the story behind its construction. The Greeks living in the neighborhood opposed violently to the construction of the synagogue and the construction could only start after the intervention of the Sultan Abdülhamid II's soldiers. To show their gratitude to the Sultan the temple was named Hemdat Israel (the gratitude of the sons of Israel).
The temple was designed by an Austrian architect. The 2000 Ottoman gold coins needed for the construction of the synagogue, were collected with donations. The synagogue opened on a Roshashana evening, the 3 September 1899. For the opening ceremony of the temple, a chandelier similar to the one in the Muayede hall of the Dolmabahce palace was donated by the Chief Jewilmaker of the Sultan, Jak Bey de Leon. Baron de Rotchild and his family participated to the Yom Kippur praying in the Hemdat Israel synagogue in 1899.The synagogue was planed and constructed according to the Sepharad traditions. There are two entrances, one on the south and one on the north of the temple. The Tevah and the Ehal are face to face constructed towards the south. There is of course a space between the Tevah and the Ehal. The south entrance, used as the main gate of the temple is reached by large white marble stairs. The small hall on the left of the main entrance was constructed as a Yeshiva in 1920. Today the reunions of the board of directors are held in this room. The Ehal is reached, again according to Sepharad traditions, by three stairs. The door of the Ehal has mother of pearl ornaments like many synagogues in Istanbul. Like in the Ashkenazi synagogue, in this synagogue the roof of the Ehal represent the square dome.
KAGITHANE
There are no known synagogues, Midrashes or any trace of Jewish settlements in Kagithane neighborhood. There are no known cemeteries either. The only proof of Jewish settlement in this neighborhood are some gravestones found in the gardens of houses. Most probably those houses belonged to Jewish families before the conquest of Istanbul. As there were no communities nearby, they would burry their dead in the gardens of their own homes.
CADDEBOSTAN
Starting from the 1950's, a large number of the Jewish families living in the Kad?koy area started to move their homes to new district on the Asian shores of the Marmara Sea like Caddebostan, Suadiye, Erenkoy, Goztepe etc. etc. The ethnical and cultural changes among the population of Kad?koy neighborhood is the main reason of this immigration. At the beginning of 1950's, the prime minister of the period, Adnan Menderes, started the reconstruction and the reorganization of Istanbul as a major European capital. Roads were constructed, neighborhood were reorganized. Along with this reorganization, to fulfill the need of work power, a migration from the eastern parts of Turkey to Istanbul was encouraged by the government. This migration changed the ethnical structure of some neighborhoods in Istanbul. Uncrowded neighborhoods, like Kad?koy, with a non Muslim majority, became main settlement area of these coming from other parts of Turkey. Of course the cultural level of the neighborhood started to change. To avoid this change, the Jews moved to less populated areas.
An increasing number of families residing on the European side of Istanbul began to spend their summers in Caddebostan or Suadiye. With the Jewish families living in those neighborhoods all year long, those areas became very populated Jewish neighborhoods. The attempt to attend the synagogues located in Kad?koy or Kuzguncuk, especially on Saturday mornings or during Jewish holidays caused serious transportation problems.
At first, some people started to open their homes for the religious ceremonies. Later temporary solutions, like renting premises for the religious holidays were tried. But those measures were not enough to solve the problem and at times were even the cause of complaints and bigger problems. A piece of land was purchased and after the necessary permissions were taken, a synagogue was constructed between 1953 and 1954. Until the application made by the Chief Rabbinate on the 1 April 1961, this temple were only used during the summers. With the acceptance of the demand made by the Chief Rabbinate on 17 April 1961, the synagogue started to be used all year long.
The architect of the temple was Albert Arditi. The first Brit Mila (circumcision) ceremony was held in the Caddebostan temple on the 2 May 2007. A Mikva was added in 2006, a kosher kitchen was added in 2010. The Hanukah is celebrated in this temple every year.
BAKIRKOY
After the Balat fire, during the Balkan War, for about 80 families who migrated to Yenikoy, a synagogue was constructed. This temple, located next to the Yedikule police station was on the upper floor of a house. Closed at the beginning of 1964, the building was sold at May 1964.
A building was constructed as a temple by the Chief Rabbinate in Bakirkoy to serve the Jewish families living in the area since the beginning of the 19th century. Mose Pinhas migrated from Edirne to Istanbul and settled in the Zeytinlik district of Bakirkoy. In 1910 he donated a land to the Chief Rabbinate. With the necessary authorizations taken, he and Mose Bahar Hak started the construction of a temple on 10 September 1914. The two stories building constructed was used as a preschool and a synagogue.
During the 2nd World War, the building was given to the Ministry of Defense. During that period the Bakirkoy congregation was using the Yedikule synagogue. After the 2nd World War, the building was restored and used as a synagogue. Today the building's entrance floor is used as a Midrash and the top floor as a synagogue. The temple has no Azara (a balcony for women) and during the prayers women sit at the back of the temple.
BURGAZ
The group of islands called today the Princes' Islands, are the top a mountain chain sunken at the end of the Ice Age. There are no information about the Islands before the Byzantine period. During the Byzantine period, the Islands were used to exile Byzantine princes. The group of Islands was first besieged by the ottomans during the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Polaegos reign. The battle between the Byzantine armada and the armada of Musa celebi ended with the victory of the Ottomans. But the Islands were conquered and added to the Ottoman Empire on 17 April 1453, a month or so before the conquest of Istanbul, by Baltaoglu Süleyman Pasa.
The Islands had several name throughout history. They were once called "Red Islands" because of the color of the land. Called as "The Islands of Saints" by Hummer, the Islands became a popular summer resort area with the use of steam boats. The ferry trips to the Islands started in 1846. Büyükada, Burgaz and Heybeli had a relatively big community but they were very few Jews living on the Kinali Island.
Today, there are 3 active synagogues on the Princes' Islands:
1- Hesed Le Avraam Synagogue on Büyükada
2- Ohel Yaakov Synagogue on Burgaz
3- Beth Yaakov Synagogue on Heybeli
; Ohel Yaakov Synagogue
There were few Jewish families spending their summer on Burgaz in the 1950's. The congregation would use the homes of the volunteers to perform the religious services. When this solution was insufficient, the community started to rent a hall for the religious services. In 1968, 360 Jewish families were spending their summer in Burgaz. The need of a temple became obvious. On 2 April 1968, the Chief rabbi David Asseo applied to the municipality for the permission to build a synagogue on Burgaz Island. The application was accepted and required permissions given on 15 April 1968.
The Ohel Yaakov synagogue is registered under the Neve salom foundation. To honor Yaakov Mazon because of his contribution to the construction of the synagogue, the temple was named "The Tent of Yaakov" (Ohel Yaakov).
BUYUKADA
Büyükada is the biggest island of the group of 9 islands called today the Princes' Islands. It is also the island which gave its name to the group. Called "Prenkipo" (Princes' Island), during the Byzantine period, it was the only island where the princes were exiled.
Hesed Le Avraam synagogue
Even need before, a temple could only be constructed on Büyükada at the beginning of the 20th century. The land of the synagogue was donated to the community by Avraam Aslan Efendi Fresko. Even the law for last names passed during the republic period, the Jews living in the Ottoman Empire had last names. But for those working for the Ottoman government, their title came before their last names. Like Jak Bey de Leon or Avraam Aslan Efendi Fresko.
Because of the donation made by Avraam Aslan Fresko, the synagogue was called Hesed Le Avraam.
Before the construction of the synagogue, the Jewish congregation of Büyükada was renting premises as places of worship. The plans of the Hesed le Avraam synagogue were drawn by the famous architect Gabriele Tedoschi. The temple was opened to service during Passover 1904, on the 31 March 1904. The inauguration ceremony was held on the 1 April 1904. The synagogue was opened official by the decree of the Sultan Abdülhamid II dated 3 August 1904. The architectural style of the temple is, as the trend of the period was, fallowing the orientalist movement. The Ehal used today was installed with the contribution of Yaakov cikvasvili in 1966. The temple was restored in 1985.
Büyükada is the biggest island of the group of 9 islands called today the Princes' Islands. It is also the island which gave its name to the group. Called "Prenkipo" (Princes' Island), during the Byzantine period, it was the only island where the princes were exiled.
Hesed Le Avraam synagogue
Even need before, a temple could only be constructed on Büyükada at the beginning of the 20th century. The land of the synagogue was donated to the community by Avraam Aslan Efendi Fresko. Even the law for last names passed during the republic period, the Jews living in the Ottoman Empire had last names. But for those working for the Ottoman government, their title came before their last names. Like Jak Bey de Leon or Avraam Aslan Efendi Fresko.
Because of the donation made by Avraam Aslan Fresko, the synagogue was called Hesed Le Avraam.
Before the construction of the synagogue, the Jewish congregation of Büyükada was renting premises as places of worship. The plans of the Hesed le Avraam synagogue were drawn by the famous architect Gabriele Tedoschi. The temple was opened to service during Passover 1904, on the 31 March 1904. The inauguration ceremony was held on the 1 April 1904. The synagogue was opened official by the decree of the Sultan Abdülhamid II dated 3 August 1904. The architectural style of the temple is, as the trend of the period was, fallowing the orientalist movement. The Ehal used today was installed with the contribution of Yaakov cikvasvili in 1966. The temple was restored in 1985.
HEYBELI
Beth Yaakov synagogue
In 1940's, there were about 250 families spending their summer on the Heybeli island. But until 1948, the Jewish congregation was renting for the summer the dining room of the Greek Orthodox School and were using this location as a temple.
A land bought on the Orhan Street in 1947, was registered in 1953 under the Neve salom foundation. With the permissions acquired the temple was opened to service on 10 June 1956.
KEMERBURGAZ
From the beginning of the year 2000, Kemerburgaz became a very popular area among the Jewish community. The Chief rabbinate decided to build a temple for the families who moved to Kemerburgaz. On the 21 September 2006, with the presence of Chief Rabbi izak Haleva, the Kemerburgaz Shaar Ashamayim temple opened to service.
SIRKECI
Because its close location to the harbor and having the main train station used as the last stop of the Orient Express, Sirkeci has always been an important business area. During Byzantium period (657 BC - 196 AD) the Jews were settled on this part of the Golden Horn. This is the reason why this area was called Porta Iudeca (Jewish Gate) or Porta Hebraica (Hebrew Gate). There was a synagogue in this neighborhood at the beginning of the 13th century. This temple was destroyed in the fire of 1204. There was also a Caraim synagogue destroyed during the construction of the New Mosque at the end of the 16th century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population of Sirkeci grew very fast after the fires of Haskoy and Kulaksiz. The Jewish refugees coming to the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan War and 1st World War were also settled to this area. In 1919 there was a congregation of 500 families in Sirkeci.
Today there are two active synagogues in this neighborhood:
1- Hesed Beth Avraam Synagogue
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish congregation of Sirkeci was using the corapc? Han synagogue. With the efforts of the younger generation, on the land located behind the train station and donated to the Jewish community by Avraam Geron a three stories building was constructed as Talmud Torah. When, at in 1919, the corapc? Han synagogue was insufficient, the Talmud Torah building started to be used as a synagogue during high holidays. The upper floor, today used a Midrash, was used as a temple. Later the whole building was converted to a synagogue.
The temple was opened during the occupation of Istanbul. By hanging a Turkish flag at the entrance of the temple during the opening ceremony, the Turkish Jews showed one more time their devotion to their country.
In the memory of Avraam Geron who donated the land of the temple, the synagogue is called Hesed Beth Avraam. The exterior of the building was renewed in 1945; the interior was restored in 1955. In 1971 the garden wall was rebuilt and 1983 the central heating system was installed.
This temple was constructed inside the corapci business building belonging to Kaptan-i Derya Piyale Pasa. With the financial support of the Kamondo family, it was built in 1880 by the Russian immigrants. On the marble plate mounted on the wall the names of those who contributed to the construction of the temple are marked.
At the beginning, the ceremonies were held in a room which belonged to an Ashkenazi woman from Kuzguncuk. When a bigger space was needed, two more rooms were purchased and the whole complex was converted to a synagogue.
In 1940 the synagogue was completely restored. During this restoration, the wooden Ehal was replaced by a marble Ehal. The synagogue was also restored in 1952 and in 1985. It has a capacity of 50 people. In 1918, a yeshiva was added to the complex.
