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The Jewish community in Turkey is small in number, but transcendental for the country and for Judaism. but important for the country and for Judaism. for different reasons, which we address on this page.
If you like to learn about the history and religion of each destination during your travels, and you are particularly interested in the vicissitudes of the Jews, you will find many reasons to explore the key aspects of this religion in Turkey.
The Jewish people have been present in present-day Turkey since ancient times.
Their arrival in Anatolia took place at some point in time. between the 6th century B.C. and the 2nd century B.C.According to Roman sources and mentions in the Bible: for example, because in the Acts of the Apostles there is mention of a synagogue in Iconium (present-day Konya) and in the Letter to the Ephesians there is mention of another synagogue in Ephesus.
These earliest Jewish communities in Anatolia were probably Romanioteswhose languages were Greek and Yevantine.
It is believed that they were relatively well integrated in this territory in the times of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, despite the existence of occasional conflicts.despite occasional conflicts.
Later, the Ottoman Ottoman Empire adopted a more open and permissive policy. with the Jews, placing some of its members in the closest circle of the sultans.
After the capture of Constantinople (later Istanbul) in 1453, rules were promoted for the reestablishment of Jews and Muslims in this dying city, which was a mirage of its past glory.
Some sources believe that, shortly thereafter, 10% of the population of this city was Jewish, still with a Romaniote majority but with increasing presence of Ashkenazifrom European territories.
But the most transcendental moment for the Jewish community in Turkey occurred in 1492. from 1492 onwardsthe expulsion and subsequent persecution of the Sephardic Jews. Sephardic Jews by the Inquisition motivated their departure from the Iberian Peninsula, being the Ottoman Empire the entity that more openly welcomed them, mainly because of their great preparation for technical and commercial positions.
Since then, the Sephardic community was gaining more and more importance, settling mainly in Istanbul, but not only.
It is estimated that slightly more than half of the Jewish population in later centuries (several hundred thousand people) was concentrated in this city, as well as the bulk of the synagogues of the empire.
As the centuries passed, the Jewish population continued to grow (the empire as a whole reached 500,000 Jews.According to some sources) but also with it conflicts and pogroms.
Especially in the territory of present-day Israel, which at that time was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Conflicts are also documented in the territory of present-day Turkey.
In any case, following World War I and the Lausanne Treaty Treaty of Lausannethe Jewish population continued to have considerable weight, to the point of being recognized as a minority. recognized as a minority The borders of today’s Turkey were established in this international treaty.
However, despite the policy of respect for Atatürkbegan a slow slow Jewish emigration Jewish emigration began, motivated to a large extent by a certain hostility from part of the population.
A emigration which, on the other hand, was massive after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, drastically reducing the number of Jews in Turkey, which in the previous decade was around 200,000, according to some sources.
Today, it is believed that only about 40,000 Jews remain in Turkish territory. 40,000 JewsThe majority of these Jews are Sephardic and live in Istanbul, and to a much lesser extent Ashkenazi Jews.
This Sephardic community struggles to move forward and maintain its traditions, among which is its language, Ladino or Judeo-Spanish. their language, Ladino or Judeo-Spanish.This is an extraordinary example of linguistic survival.
To this end, the Sephardim have maintained the use of their language in the family sphere, but also in the public sphere, founding communication media and publishing books in this language.
At present, only one monthly magazine is preserved, with a most eloquent name: The Amaneser.
Although the number of synagogues has drastically reduced in recent decades due to the due to the massive emigration of Jews to Israel, some interesting examples still remain.
Most of them are in Istanbul in Istanbul and they are Sephardicsuch as that of Neve Shalom.
La Ahrida synagogue is the oldest that remains, with origins in the fifteenth century, and although it was founded by Romaniote Jews, the Sephardic community ended up ‘making it their own’, providing it with elements that reminded them of their place of origin: in particular, a pulpit representing Noah’s Ark in the shape of a caravel, vessels that the Sephardim had to use to leave the Iberian Peninsula.
On the other hand, only an Ashkenazi synagogue remains, in the Beyoglu neighborhood, with monumental traces and orientalist style.
Outside of Istanbul, mention should be made of the Great Synagogue of EdirneThe synagogue, which replaces the 13 small synagogues that existed in this city before the fire of 1905.
This synagogue of modern traces is consecrated to the cult, but the lack of faithful has turned it rather into a museum managed by the Turkish authorities.
Nevertheless, in recent times a wedding has still been celebrated inside, which shows that it is still consecrated for religious purposes.
Slightly more numerous and with a greater sense of conservation are the synagogues in synagogues of Izmir (Izmir).some of which date back to the first period of reception of Iberian Sephardim (16th century).
The most beautiful is perhaps the Sinyora Synagoguepromoted by a Portuguese merchant and built in Renaissance style, something that was maintained in its reconstruction in the nineteenth century after a fire that damaged it significantly.
In addition, we can also mention the Jewish Museum of IstanbulThe center is a very interesting place to learn about the history and evolution of the Sephardic people in Turkey, since their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492.
It occupies the site of the ancient synagogue Zülfaris or Kal Kadosh, in the district of Karaköy.
It allows to know the distribution of an old synagogue (with origins in the XVII century), as well as liturgical pieces and diverse trousseaus, vestments and photographs.
Undoubtedly, one of the most recommended visits for those interested in Judaism in Turkey.
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