Jewish Heritage

Start with downtown Beyoglu & Pera and take a stroll down Istiklal Avenue to the Galata quarter, a Jewish neighborhood for centuries with many synagogues and bustling street life. There we visit the Ashkenazi Synagogue, which serves the community of European Jews. En route, see the cosmopolitan nature of the city passing historic diplomatic posts, handsome old houses, fashionable boutiques and cafes. Stop-off at Galata Tower, once the high-point of the Genovese fortified town, from which there are spectacular views over the city. Also visit the Neve Shalom Synagogue, the largest modern synagogue in the city center to a strong Jewish community, and also the Jewish Heritage Museum in Karakoy. Later in the afternoon, we cross to the Western shore of the Golden Horn to take a stroll through the atmospheric old streets in the Jewish quarter of Balat, where many Jewish immigrants settled to help repopulate the city under Sultan Beyazit II. Today the Star of David can be seen on the facades of some buildings. Also in this colorful area, we visit the Ottoman Baroque style Ahrida Synagogue, with beautiful furnishings, including the bema (pulpit) shaped like the prow of a ship.