About the Jewish Istanbul Walk in Istanbul
Standing at the crossroads of continents and cultures, Istanbul has always hosted a incredibly diverse population. Jews have lived here since antiquity; however, in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition a diaspora of Sephardic Jews dramatically increased the population and would leave its mark over the following five centuries. During this three-hour walk we'll explore the history and traditions of Jewish culture in Istanbul. Using the city and several key monuments as our starting point, we'll paint a portrait of the vibrant role Jews play in the history of this cosmopolis and look at how that history impacts the city today.
Our tour of Jewish Istanbul will focus on the neighborhoods of Galata and Pera, traditionally the home of other non-Muslim "outsider" populations and the center of business and diplomacy through the Ottoman period. Here we'll learn about the original Jews of Istanbul—the Karaite community—and their relatively obscure traditions. But, mainly, we'll turn our attenti
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Standing at the crossroads of continents and cultures, Istanbul has always hosted a incredibly diverse population. Jews have lived here since antiquity; however, in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition a diaspora of Sephardic Jews dramatically increased the population and would leave its mark over the following five centuries. During this three-hour walk we'll explore the history and traditions of Jewish culture in Istanbul. Using the city and several key monuments as our starting point, we'll paint a portrait of the vibrant role Jews play in the history of this cosmopolis and look at how that history impacts the city today.
Our tour of Jewish Istanbul will focus on the neighborhoods of Galata and Pera, traditionally the home of other non-Muslim "outsider" populations and the center of business and diplomacy through the Ottoman period. Here we'll learn about the original Jews of Istanbul—the Karaite community—and their relatively obscure traditions. But, mainly, we'll turn our attention to the presence of Sephardim who began moving in here after the expulsion of Jews from Spain set in motion one of the largest diasporas of Jews in European history.
As we move through Galata we'll pass by the center of Jewish-controlled Ottoman finance, still dominated by banks today. We'll discuss the role of important families, like the Camando, whose staircase reminds us of their status in this neighborhood. After picking our way through this quarter and discovering fragments of history in the form of doorknobs, carved stars of David over doorways, and other hints of Jews here, we'll visit one or two of the still-functioning synagogues in Galata. These include Neve Shalom and the Italian Synagogue. Exactly which depends on the day and availability of reservations, which are tightly controlled for security reasons.
We will also visit the museum of Jewish history, the standing collection of which provides excellent documentary reference for Jewish history in Istanbul.
We'll conclude our time together with a deeper understanding of the complicated history of Jews in Istanbul, from periods of thriving integration to episodes of discrimination and antisemitism.
Note: This walk is only available as a private walk, and preparation must be made at least two weeks in advance. (Though notice of several months is much better.) We will need to submit scans of your passports in advance in order to gain access to the monuments along the course of the walk.
