Original Istanbul Jewish Heritage Tour.
Description
Become immersed in the cultural legacies and history of the Jewish communities of Istanbul on this special Jewish heritage tour. Our tour includes a deep understanding of the story of the Jewish population in Istanbul with the lead of Sephardic Jewish guide.Since our guide is also one of the member of Jewish community ,he has deep understanding about the Jewish Heritage of Istanbul.None of your questions will remain unanswered.He will explain every detail of Jewish Heritage of Istanbul.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Located in Balat near the Golden Horn, built by Jews of Ohri (Macedonia) more than 550 years ago and recently renovated during the Quincentennial Celebrations in 1992, the Ahrida Synagogue is known foremost by its boat-shaped bimah.Our Sephardic Jewish guide will explain the synagogue in detail and answer all your questions about Jewish Heritage in Istanbul.
Jews played an important part in the development of Istanbul. During the Ottoman Empire, Turkey was once home to as many 500,000 Jews. The Quincentennial Foundation was formed in 1992 to commemorate 500 years of Sephardic Jewish-Turkish relations. The museum located at Neve Shalom Synagogue. Our guide who is also Sephardic Jewish will accompany you during the tour and explain every detail about the Jewish museum.
Ashkenazi Jews emigrated from Europe to the Ottoman territories at the end of the 14th century. The Ashkenazi synagogue was built by Ashkenazi Jews from Austria in 1909 and remains in active use to this day.
Binbirdirek district is the most famous tourist attraction of Istanbul.We will briefly see the area and have lunch on a teras restaurant which has a breathtaking view of Istanbul.
Beth Yaakov synagogue is located in the Asian side of Istanbul.It was built in 1878.The district is called Kuzguncuk.Although Jewish community from Kuzguncuk district moved to other part of Istanbul they regularly come to this synagogue for sabbath worship.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(3)
Davut's personal stories of his connection to Neve Shalom Synagogue are precious; he should elaborate on those. For example, go back to find out the parsha of the Bar Mitzvah, etc. Davut can expect clients to ask about that. The personal story of Davut's brother and the 1986 terrorist attack gives us a "hook" to read the plaque; add to that by telling us about the impact on the whole Jewish community, such as how security measures were enhanced at all (5?) synagogues at that time. Tell us about the establishment of the Jewish Museum. And how it is now run in the face of increased anti-Israeli, if not antisemitic, sentiment. Tell us some of the content--such as historical timelines of the Romaniot and Sephardic migrations; and local Jewish publications--BEFORE we arrive at the museum. Know the content in a deep way (don't read it to us as though it is all new to YOU, Davut), and give us more contexts. Telling us about the Jewish basketball team is a good example of showing us your pride, Davut, in your Jewish identity. At the end of the day, we felt like we missed seeing one or two synagogues, but felt lucky to be able to access Ahrida Synagogue because of Davut's contacts and persistence. (Please be more attentive to your clients than to your phone.) The tour business partner, Harkun (sp?), was very kind to lead us from place to place when Davit was too busy. Harkun took us to non-Jewish sites, and explained general Turkish history, art, architecture, and geography. We appreciate all that we learned!
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We had a wonderful time with our guide Ipek. Due to the Passover holiday, some of the sites were closed, however Ipek substituted other sites that were just as interesting. We enjoyed her narratives of the places we visited, the descriptions of the life in the Jewish areas, and the differences between the Europe and Asia sides of the city. The experience was as it she was sharing the city and people with friends. We would take the tour again with Ipek.
We are really happy that you had good time .Thank you for your nice comments.Best Regards.
My husband and I visited Istanbul for the first time and were lucky to have Davut Ishaki as our guide for the Istanbul Jewish Heritage Tour. Davut (David) was warm and personable and we felt taken care of from the moment he picked us up at our hotel. Not only is David Jewish, but he knows everyone in town. We visited the Jewish Museum and Neve Shalom synagogue in the Karaköy quarter. Through David’s connections, we were also able to visit the Sephardic (Ahrida) synagogue that was otherwise closed to the public that day. David was extremely knowledgeable of Turkish history, Jewish and otherwise, and we freely discussed historical cultural and political issues. We also visited the Basilica Cistern (where we bypassed long lines), Beyoglu, Pera, Istiklal Avenue, and the Galata quarter, formerly a Jewish neighborhood. David brought us to a homey restaurant for satisfying lunch and made helpful recommendations (including overpriced museums to avoid). With David as our guide, we felt our limited time was used wisely, and that we left behind a friend in Turkey. He even arranged for our transfer to the airport at the end of our stay.
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