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Ahrida Synagogue of Istanbul

Coordinates: 41°01′58″N 28°56′44″E / 41.03278°N 28.94556°E / 41.03278; 28.94556
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 24.34.72.100 (talk) at 21:13, 22 September 2016 (Balat was once the Jewish Quarter, but is no more. Fixed that.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ahrida Synagogue of Istanbul
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
DistrictFatih
ProvinceIstanbul
RiteSephardi
Statusactive
Location
CercleBalat
StateTurkey
Geographic coordinates41°01′58″N 28°56′44″E / 41.03278°N 28.94556°E / 41.03278; 28.94556

Ahrida (Ohrid) Synagogue (Template:Lang-he-n) is one of the oldest[citation needed] synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in Balat, once a thriving Jewish quarter in the city.

History

It was built by Romaniotes (Greek Jews), from the city of Ohrid (called 'Ahrid' in Greek) in what was then the Ottoman Empire and is now the Republic of Macedonia. Neve Shalom is said to have moved to Constantinople more than 550 years ago[clarification needed]. Sephardi Jews arrived in the Ottoman Empire from the Iberian peninsula beginning in 1492, and soon were a larger group of Jews in population than the Romaniotes. The Romaniotes of Istanbul, as in many communities, including Thessaloniki became assimilated into the Sephardic culture and adopted the Sephardic liturgy as well as the language of the Sephardim, Judesmo. The synagogue building, one of the two ancient synagogues in Istanbul's Golden Horn, was renovated in 1992 by the Quincentennial Foundation, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Sephardic Jews' arrival in the Ottoman Empire. Ahrida Synagogue is known for its boat-shaped tevah (the reading platform, known in Ashkenazi communities as a bimah).[1] Ahrida Synagogue is also the only synagogue in Istanbul at which Sabbatai Zevi, founder of the Jewish Sabbatean movement, prayed.[2]

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ "Chief Rabbinate of Turkey (Türkiye Hahambaşılığı)". Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Istanbul-Sacred Places-Ahrida Synagogue (Turkish)". Retrieved 22 April 2007.