The Zülfaris building stands out with its pale, neoclassical facade and arched windows that feel out of place against the weathered masonry of the surrounding Karaköy backstreets. Originally constructed as the Kal Kadosh ha Gadol synagogue…
Galata Jewish Heritage Walk
This walk takes you through the steep streets around Galata Tower to explore the history of Istanbul’s Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities. You will walk past active and historic synagogues, architectural landmarks funded by the Camondo banking family, and grand late-Ottoman apartment buildings.
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1. Zülfaris Karaköy
2. DeCamondo Galata, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
The DeCamondo Galata features a striking facade of rough-hewn stone and ornate ironwork balconies, standing out from the newer buildings nearby. This structure served as the headquarters for the Camondo family, a prominent Sephardic Jewish…
3. Kamondo Stairs
The Kamondo Stairs form a curving, serpentine path of stone steps that splits in two before reuniting at the top. Abraham Salomon Kamondo, a wealthy Jewish banker, commissioned these steps in the late nineteenth century to shorten the walk…
4. Schneidertempel Sanat Merkezi
The Schneidertempel Sanat Merkezi stands out for its high, arched windows and the worn stone facade of a former Ashkenazi synagogue. Built in eighteen ninety-four, it served the local guild of tailors who lived and worked nearby. For…
5. Ashkenazi Synagogue of Istanbul
The Ashkenazi Synagogue features a distinctive facade dominated by three large arched windows and a central dome painted in deep blue with gold stars. Built in nineteen hundred by the local Ashkenazi community, this remains the only active…
6. Italian Synagogue
The Italian Synagogue in the Bereketzade neighborhood stands behind a plain, high stone wall, identifiable by the distinctive, arched entryway topped with a decorative stone carving of the Star of David. Built in eighteen eighty-seven,…
7. Neve Shalom Synagogue
The Neve Shalom Synagogue displays a distinctive, large dome that rises above the surrounding buildings in the Galata neighborhood. Built in nineteen fifty-one, it serves as the primary gathering place for the city's Sephardic Jewish…
8. Frej Apartmanı
The Frej Apartmanı sits at the corner of the busy intersection, clad in a distinct, pale stone that separates it from the neighboring brick facades. Built in nineteen oh six for Selim Hanna Frej, a wealthy Lebanese banker, the building…