Jewish Heritage in Istanbul Audio Tour
There has been a Jewish presence in this city for over 2,000 years. The community grew under Byzantium, then substantially after 1492, when Sultan Bayezid II sent ships to bring Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain.
- At the gate
- £6.80
- Allow
- 1h 30m
- District
- Galata
- Closed
- Open daily
Jewish Istanbul, in short
There has been a Jewish presence in this city for over 2,000 years. The community grew under Byzantium, then substantially after 1492, when Sultan Bayezid II sent ships to bring Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain.
The walking tour covers the synagogues, streets and institutions of Galata, Karaku00f6y and Balat, where that history is still visible.
What it costs
The guided tour is u20ac8 separately. Included on the pass.
Getting there
The tour centres on Galata and Karaku00f6y, below Galata Tower. Take the T1 tram to Karaku00f6y, or the Tu00fcnel funicular.
How long to allow
Two to three hours on foot. The ground is steep in places.
What you will see
Galata and Karaku00f6y have been at the centre of Jewish life in the city for centuries, and the Neve Shalom synagogue and the Jewish Museum of Turkey are both here.
In Balat, further up the Golden Horn, the Ahrida Synagogue was founded before the Ottoman conquest by Jews from Ohrid, and its bimah is built in the shape of a ship's prow.
Worth knowing
Synagogues in Istanbul have security procedures and generally require visits to be arranged in advance with identification u2014 which is one of the practical reasons to do this as a guided tour rather than alone.
Frequently asked questions
- Over 2,000 years. It expanded significantly after 1492, when Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain were invited to settle in the Ottoman Empire.
- Galata and neighbouring Karaku00f6y have been the heart of Jewish life in the city for centuries, and hold the main synagogues and the Jewish Museum of Turkey.
- Usually only by prior arrangement with identification, because of security procedures. The guided tour handles this.
- Two to three hours, over ground that is steep in places.